New camera and ATC`s

I have been using a Casio QV-R camera for the last 5/6 years and it was sent back to be repaired costing me £82.00 I did think at the time it might be more sensible to replace it but as I am a bit of a Luddite it suited me well,Last week it gave up the ghost again ,I rang Casio and they said put it in the post and if it is the same fault we will repair it free of charge when I complained about the cost of sending it reg.mail I was told they would send me the packaging and free postage.To my amazement a few days later I received a package with a brand new Casio camera similar to the type I had been using I was thrilled it is not often you get such excellent service and I wanted to sing their praises if anyone wanted to know what Casio`s after care is like . I have been taking part in Kate's ATC swap and I am posting up some of the ones I have received they are lovely and varied in technique and style. This one and all the fabric is from Di Thompson This one in luscious velvets from Ann in Durham the photo does not do it justice

This is from Anna my favourite colours and with beautifulhand made beads and threads to use.

Lovely purples again and themost wonderful little handmade booklet.

A great flower from Lynne

Pretty in pink fromWendy

Delicate beaded flowers from Aine in Ireland

Tea leaf and gold from Shelina and a great bookmark

Lovely delicate colours transfer painted onto felt from Norma who very kindly sent the pearl headed pins as well,just what I need I keep deheading mine.

A "smile" ATC from Leah and lots of fabric pieces

You cant beat mauve and lime green and the dog bis so cute,both from Mary.

A lovely one from Kate who organised the swap, deeper colours in real life and a piece of oriental fabric.

Bright zany needle felting from Norma in Arizona

Big beaded flower from Marga makes you feel sunny just looking at it

Lovely texturedATC fromWil with a super hand folded card

Joyce sent me this ATC it has glowing colours she very kindly sent me the lovely skeleton leaves

Sheila¬s ATC also glows with colour and a most unusual card, many thanks to you all I was quite overwhelmed,

Goodies to win

Nip over to the Stamp Mans blog and see what you could win

A little quilt swap and the Banksy exhibition

I took part in Another little Art quilt swap organised by Kate,you made an art quilt, posted a photo on Kates blog an then voted for them in order of preference,I made two so I had 2 in return, this one as seen on Lynda`s blog which I shall get at the FOQ,

And this lovely one from Penny in Oz, the photo does not do it justice, it is lovely and loads of hand sewing Kantha style I am so pleased many thanks Penny.

This one of mine which went to Lisa in Oz. called carrots and cupcakes, which was screen printed with dyes discharged and reprinted.

This is a detail of the ammonites from the quilt which went to Penny in Oz, so we swapped quilts.

I went to the Banksy exhibition in Bristol museum with my daughter and granddaughter and queued for 2 1/2 hours at least it wasn't raining and when you get inside it is not too crowded to have a good look.This one is painted on a wall in Park St.

I must apologise for the poor quality of the photos my camera has bust again so was using my husbands and we were not allowed to use a flash and the lighting was dim.

This one is called " The Angel of the North" complete with fags and drink.

A Damien Hirst print which he sells for over a thousand pounds vastly improved by Banksy.

This is entitled " Flight out of Egypt"

My favourite she looks as if she is really enjoying the rest and the ciggie.

Great idea this one complete with blood.

Terrible photo but it is a mother hen with her "chicks" they are in fact chicken nuggets!

Tweetie complete with bird flue.

This one states you can get away with anything as long as you put it in a large gold frame.

Daughter and granddaughter in classic pose

This is police in riot gear tripping through the daisies

I do apologise for these pictures I had not realised they were so bad.

Berkeley castle.

This my calender girls card for August based on a card by Erika Oller, I love her sense of humour I just went with the hearts on this one.It has a backing of painted foil then a piece of silk paper then the hearts cut out of paper fabric and organza over the top which makes it difficult to photograph. We spent a lovely afternoon at Berkeley Castle, which is probably best known for the death of Edward II who was imprisoned there,we saw the room he was kept in, adjacent to a dungeon pit into which they threw dead animals the idea being that the gases they gave off would kill you.In his case he survived that but was either strangled or the red hot poker version .Common people were just thrown down the pit ontop off the animals poor souls, but the fall would have probably killed them . This elegant building is where they would have kept the dead game and meat to keep it cool,it would have hand wire mesh panels to keep the flies out.

Berkeley is famous for being the longest lived in castle, it has some beautiful wooden doors

The Berkley family fought in many wars and brought back a sapling tree from each of the battles, this tree came from the Flodden.

It has the most beautiful chimney pots I think these are called barley sugar.

They also have a butterfly house with some beautiful creatures

This one took a fancy to my daughter, I can understand why.