From a low angle

Ok I know today is Easter Sunday for the Greek Orthodox and I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Easter Sunday!
But in Our Beautiful World we have another theme for today.
The prompt was chosen by dear Wendy of Love a Rustic Life  and is

From a low angle.

That was the first time that I went out to take pictures for the prompt. I have taken photos
                                                                    from a low angle 
before but it was easier to go out and take some more rather than search all of my photograph files for my old ones.

My favourite was a dandellion photo from a low angle years ago!If I find it I will add it here.

On Wednesday evening we went out to walk Barca at the seafront and I tried to take some low angle photos. Here they are!

The sky from low angle.

 A plane coming in.

 Feeling like an insect.

 I saw the insect in this one when I uploaded the photos.

 The sunset behind the poppy.

 The olive tree from a low angle.

Remember that movie "Honey I shrunk the kids!" ?Something like that!

 I know these last two photos are not from a low angle but the sun was low in the horizon and it was so beautiufl so I had to add them too.

Enjoy Easter Sunday!

Easter eggs

It's the custom to paint eggs red on this day.
So I woke up early to finish other things and then paint my eggs in my own way, quietly and hoping that they will look good.It always causes me stress if the red ones will be nice red ones and not too dark or with white spots.
Anyway I hang a red teatowel outside, that's a custom too, to show you are painting red eggs.

 First I slowly hard boiled my eggs.I let them cool.

 Then I dipped them into water,vinegar and red paint for Easter eggs for 5 minutes.

 Yes, they are ok!Great! Here they are inside my second ceramic bowl with Georgia Ahtida's egg in the middle.

And here's my bowl in the middle of the lovely fabric strip wreath Angeliki of Poco Loco made for me!

 And here's my minimalistic Easter decoration. My ceramic bowls, red eggs, Ahtida's egg, ceramic eggs (store bought years ago), a Hama bead butterfly (I will tell you about it in a future blogpost), and the little bunny I got from the Secret Bunny Exchange from Athena (organized by Zina).

I left a couple of eggs unpainted wanting to try some decoupage techniques I recently learnt at the Fiaxto workshop at IKEA.
I used an IKEA napkin, and white glue dilluted in water.

 I took off the white sheets from the napkin and was left with only the top sheet.I cut it in small pieces. I applied some glue on the eggs and stick the napkin and apply some more glue. Let dry well.

 The two eggs are covered in only one layer and therefore the colour of the eggs shows from underneath leaving a blue and beige colour combination. I also tried with more layers and had the blue and white  colour result but the texture of the egg surface isn't as good. Also I realised I should have cut the napkin in smaller pieces.

 Do you paint eggs for Easter?What kind did you do this year?

Secret bunny 2016

Dear Zina of Efzin creations blog and etsy shop organized one more successful Easter gift exchange called #secretbunny2016.
This year I received a gift from Athena of Mummy's Little Man 

Athena sent me a little porcelain bunny covered in paper,a tealightcandle holder, some chocolate and candies, a beautiful pen, and a handmade card. Thank you Athena.
I sent my parcel to Helen of Karydotsouflo.
As I wasn't sure what Helen liked I decided to visit her blog and loved the banner.
So I started thinking about walnut shells and hedgehogs and finally I came up with copying her banner and turning it into a pyrography scene.

 Then I also cross stitched a little hedgehog family from a pattern I found on pinterest and made it into a bookmark

I then looked around my house for previously loved things I could add to my parcel.I always do that as I believe that sometimes I have too many  things I don't really need but love (usually books and handmade items) and that those could suit another person better.
I had bought a book covered box to post my parcel in so I thought of adding a book into the box too. And I had the most appropriate one The elegance of the hedgehog by Myriel Barbery!Amazing, isn't it?
I also added a walnut shell pin cushion made by dear Sonia of Cozymemories and finally a bunny I bought at the Melissa Orphanage bazaar. I added some little details on the bunny too.Oh and a card of course.
Before closing the parcel I added some chocolate and jelly candy for Helen's kids.
I really loved making this parcel and I am glad my recipient loved it too!
Apart from making this parcel I also made a couple more for two other friends.
One was for Maro aka Akamatra who was visiteing Thessaloniki and we met for coffee at Koumbi cafe
I gave her a box with chocolate.

her blog logo made with pyrography,

 a needle booklet made with aida and felt and I stitched the Stitch for Syria pattern on it,

 and a bunny from the afore mentioned bazaar.

Maro made me a lovely pouch!Thanks Maro!

I also sent Zina a small gift, her blog logo made with pyrography

and a bunny too since she is the organizer of the secret bunny exchange!
I really enjoyed all this gift making,sending and receiving once again!

One more charity workshop

This Sunday Anna of In My Closet organized one more charity workshop.
In fact it was three workshops, a marathon of creativity and happiness.
All those who had applied for a place in the workshops gathered at Koumbi Coffee and Crafts cafe (the cafe I talked about in my previous blogpost).
The first workshop was to make brooches with lace and ribbon.
The second workshop was to make little pots with buttons and wire.

And the third workshop was to make little wreaths with floss and fabric flowers.

I took part in the second and third workshops.

Anna of In My Closet and Christina of Christie's Trees and more showed us how to make everything.
Yfansi, generously gave all the materials for the workshop and also gifted each participant with a bag filled with lace,buttons and zips.

Anthi of Koumbi served delicious coffee and drinks.
I made four little pots of buttons

two brooches

and then I made a wreath.You can learn how to make the wreath in Anna's blogpost here.

In fact my wreath also appeared on television too. Anna was invited at the local TV station ERT3 on Thursday 28th April 2016 to present some handicrafts. 

 Here's the reporter holding my wreath!I am so proud! You can watch Anna here.

 In the end all creations were put on the table and are being sold for 2 and 3 euros. 

Of course I had to buy some as they are lovely and all the proceeds go to the charity

 Initiative for the Child-FRONT (Πρωτοβουλία για το Παιδί). with the assistance of running365.

We all had a great time and really enjoyed spending time on the charity workshop.

In the end I had a surprise too!

Angeliki of Poco Loco and Poco Locini gifted me with this lovely wreath made with strips of fabric. I wanted to buy one wreath like this from the Merimna Bazaar but they were all sold so Angeliki kindly made me one!Thanks so much sweetie!

The Snowflower Diaries Joyful World SAL

Back in January I started stitching a SAL( Stitch Along).

It is given for free by sweet Maja of The Snowflower Diaries blog and thousands of stitchers around the world are stitching along this beautiful calendar.

You can join in here on facebook.

You can find more lovely designs by Maja on her etsy shop too.

I am using some fabric I already had which I am not sure what it is but it looks like 28count. 

I coffee dyed it.

I printed my first month and I started using the threads I already had.

Barca keeps me company while I stitch.

Although I am not used to stitching on such high count I managed to finish the first month very quickly because only a couple of days later the second month was coming.

 February was stitched fast as well. Always with Barca next to me.

 February finished.

Every pattern is introduced in the group on facebook on the 10th of the previous month.

And here's March, so sweet.

Barca looked anxiously to see the next month completed.

 No in fact she was looking at my snack.

 And here's April completed.

I have already printed the pattern of May but haven't managed to start it yet!