15 June 2011

♥ GiVeAwAy! ♥

Ooh, I do love my little blog!

As promised, to celebrate my 100th post and as a little thank you to you gorgeous girls and your blogs which also give me such pleasure, a little giveaway!


I've strayed away from my jewellery making for a while - to be honest, it's been usurped by crochet.  I do still, however, make the occasional item for myself or special requests.

The winner of this giveaway will receive this pretty sterling silver charm bracelet with turquoise gemstone heart and Karen Hilltribe silver daisy.

Plus a few extra pretties ...


Including some handmade buttons, rose fridge magnets and a few lovelies for your lapel!

Now, I would LOVE to be able to make my own clothes.  I have the ideas but not the ability!  I've half-heartedly tried but have always ended up getting into a ratty pickle.  It's in my genes; my paternal grandmother was a very successful fabric and fashion designer.  She didn't like to be referred to as a granny so we always called her Maggie.  This is her at the age of 15 ...


And a couple of copies of her handpainted garment and fabric designs ...




In the 1970s she used to go to Buckingham Palace once a month to dress the Queen.

Maggie could sew absolutely anything.  If she saw an outfit she liked she could make an exact replica for herself.  She was always immaculately dressed though I never, ever saw her in a pair of trousers.

Maggie, who was also a professional artist, worked until she was in her eighties.  She died eight years ago at the age of 91.

Anyway, this little canned history of my family leads me back to my giveaway believe it or not!  To make it slightly more interesting, is there a particular skill you would LOVE to have?  Do tell.

I'll randomly pick a name on the longest day, the 21st June 2011.

Good luck!

H♥

35 comments:

  1. I would also love to be able to make clothes especially for my kiddies - a lovely talent to have. ohh that and also create silver jewellery but then I probably wouldn't be able to sell it as I would want to keep it all. Happy bloggy birthday :-) x Gorgeous bracelet you have made by the way.

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  2. Your granny looks incredibly grown up for 15! her fabric design is fabulous.
    I'd love to be able to play the piano. tried learning once, but reading two lines of music at once proved beyond me.

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  3. Wow, would a fantastic giveaway! I would love to be entered - thanks!

    A skill I would love to have is to be able to sing - I am so tone deaf it's horrifying!

    When it comes to craft - I'd love to be able to draw and paint.

    Your granny was so talented! What a lovely bit of family history.

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  4. I would love to be able to play the clarinet! I have one but have not really got round to learning to play! I would also love to be able to paint. I was useless at Art at school and still am useless! Cx

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  5. Dinki Dots sort of usurped my longed for skill - I too would love to be able to sing. However, if it's a craft sort of skill I would dearly love to be able to spin and weave my own wool. My friend in the Lake District can do this and she's so cool. By the way, what a fab gran! xxx

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  6. Wow your gran/ Maggie sounds wonderful. I'd love to be able to sing ( I hurt my own ears) and craft wise I'd love to be able to work with silver and gold. Though probably will one day :)
    Lovely giveaway x

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  7. I would like to be able to draw and paint. A negative remarkf from a teacher put me off and I regret it a bit. But I think I have all the skills I need now, as willingness to try new things, whether you are good at them or not is a skill in itself. xxx

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  8. What a fab giveaway!!

    I'd love to be able to play the piano.

    You should give dressmaking another go, I got ungraded at GCSE I was so bad and had never made a thing sucessfully until late last year when I bought a sewing machine and haven't looked back since!!

    It's never too late!!

    S x

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  9. Your gran sounds like one amazing lady! One skill I would love to have....I would love to be able to do wet felting...one day I might get to have a go!

    and I would love to be put into the hat for the giveaway, these are amazing goodies!

    Helenxx

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  10. What a fantastically talented your Granny was!

    All of the women in my family could either knit, paint, sew or crochet sadly now they have all passed away but I wish I could knit as well as my Mum could. She could do all fancy things with cable and wot not....I wish I had asked her to pass on all of her knitting knowledge!

    Loving reading your blog & also loving your give-away items! Your bracelet is gorgeous!!!!

    Jo x

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  11. I would LOVE to be able to become invisible, in a superhero type way, does that count??
    Emily x

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  12. Ooooo lush bracelet and goodies!
    Like Sarah above, I really wish I could play the piano. I am lucky enough to be able to sing and play the trumpet, read music etc, but I used to hate piano lessons so much, I begged mum to let me stop.
    Grrrrrrrr. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
    Xx

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  13. Maggie sounds an incredible lady!
    I would love to be able to draw - tiny detailed drawings of natural objects which are my passion!

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  14. Oh what a gorgeous giveaway, I'd love to play please!

    I too would love to dress make. The strange thing is that I can sew, so it probably wouldn't be too far fetched, I'm just too scared to try...rubbish of me really! x

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  15. fab giveaway and a wonderful potted family history - your "Maggie" sounded a fascinating character...
    as for the skill i think it would to be making delicious and wonderful cakes - victoria sponges with butter cream, my cooking skills seem to be dwindling as i get older

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  16. What a lovely giveaway. I would love to be able to weave - I know its a bit random.

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  17. Lovely giveaway, I would love to be able to crochet. A lovely friend taught me but because of a problem with my neck that radiates down my arm I just can't do it,it's too painful!!

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  18. What a sweet giveaway!!!
    I wish I could paint..I can paint walls and furniture :(
    Enjoy your day!!!
    Suzann ~xoxo~

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  19. Wow! That bracelet is beautiful, hope I win!

    How amazing that your granny dressed the Queen! Chic lady.

    I would like to be able to sail a boat. I have been sailing a couple of times in my life and loved it (as an active passenger) but got hit over the head by the boom (?) more times than I should admit. Ow.

    Nicki xx

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  20. Love love love the goodies! Please can I play?!

    Your gran sounds real "cool", do we still use that word these days lol.

    I'd really like to play an instrument, any instrument! Love music and sing ok-ish , but can't play or read music. Really enjoying your blog by the way and have read it from 'cover to cover' x

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  21. Stunning bracelet. Love the story about your nan and her photo is so elegant. I love looking at the pictures of my nan when she was young. You forget they were ever that age as we only know them when they are Grans!

    A skill I would love to have is to be able to sing, I love it but unfortunately it's not pleasant for anyone to listen too! To sing on stage would be just amazing (did do it once when I was very drunk but that doesn't count) o)xx

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  22. I would love to be able to paint!!
    The bracelet is so pretty, great story about your grandmother too.

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  23. Beautiful bracelet & even more beautiful grandmother, like looking at a portrait of a young Coco Chanel, so pretty. My fantasy is to be able to sing, my husband is an amazing singer & guitarist, Two of my girls can sing like angels but me, urrgh! I always imagine being able to do a duet with Aidan 'wishful thinking'. Have a great day Karen:)

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  24. I'd like to be able to follow patterns - whilst I can sew/knit simple things - I just can't follow patterns :(

    What an amazing Grandma you had - mine would love to meet the Queen.

    I'd just be happy to have my name in the hat to win that lovely bracelet.

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  25. I'd love to be able to sing :)

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  26. Beautiful bracelet...I love the colour of the heart!
    Hmm I would love to be able to make clothes too - no grand scheme just the odd skirt and top would be lovely. But I have only just gotten on "THE FEAR" of using my sewing machine, and garment patterns frankly might as well be written in Russian!!
    How lovely to have that history in your family
    Clare
    x

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  27. Bonny Heather, Maggie sounds like one hell of a woman.
    At first when thinking of a skill I thought playing the piano or something but then it hit me. The skill I'd really like is to think things through even a teeny tiny bit before I say it. Today at the school spots day when a mum said she had just had a filling I found myself saying "that's why you look like you've had a stroke." People laughed but I was thinking why on earth did I say that? I've never seen her before, for all I know she could look like that all the time. She could be right droopy face.
    So a better sieving mechanism before I speak would be called for.
    Fingers crossed....xx

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  28. How sophisticated Maggie looked. What a stunner. And what an amazing claim to fame, dressing the queen. Wow, I'd be so proud!
    Your giveaway is fab idea and I adore the bracelet and bits so definitely want to enter this little competition.
    Right, regarding a skill Iwould like to learn......
    I would love to be able to play the didgeridoo. I own one, and for 13 years I have tried to circular breathe but STILL can't do it.
    Wish I could master it properly, full on Rolf Harris stylee.
    x x x x

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  29. What a lovely bracelet and giveaway too! Maggie sure was one elegant lady. Like her, I would love to learn to sew - like REALLY sew - clothes would be great, but I'm also madly in love with quilted blankets. I've been collecting fabrics for quite a while now with the dream of being able to create something I could wrap myself in!

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  30. I'm afraid the same as you! All of my family are very talented at sewing. What a beautiful lady Maggie was. I would love to buy some fabric and make myself something to wear. :0(

    I would love to enter please!

    Lou xxx

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  31. well i guess im abit like you ,i would love to be able to make my own clothes so they fit just so, but hey im not there. But i must say i love family history and how fab is it that yours supported the royal family and that you have such lovely pics too x ps i love your bracelet x

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  32. I can't really sew but I keep trying. I'm no good at cooking Yet I still try. I'm no good at decorating but I don't let it stop me. I'm probably rubbish at homemaking but I'll carry on regardless. I put my heart into being a parent but I know I don't always get it right. I wish I wasn't so rubbish at stuff but even more than that - I hope that I never give up trying - regardless of the outcome xx

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  33. What an amazing granny!! I loved reading this post. There are lots of things I'd love to be able to do - one is to make clothes that fit perfectly like my mum can! I love your pretty giveaway treats - please put my name in the draw! Have a happy week ahead.
    Helen x

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  34. I've only just stumble across you through clicking through other's blog lists and I'm so happy I have, you have a beautiful blog and I've so enjoyed reading this post.

    Your description of Maggie pretty much sums up the skill I would love to have - I can sew basic things; the odd book bag, a pillowcase, a table runner but I would love to really master the use of a sewing machine and be able to whip up garments without too much bother! An ability to draw and capture on paper what I see would also feel like a gift!

    Jem xXx

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  35. Wow - what a lovely giveaway - think I'm just in time :) I hope you do get dressmaking - I have a feeling you'd be fab at it if you persevered! I'd love to be able to crochet. xx

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Anyone ever told you that you're a peach? xx

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