Monday in the making

I have finally finished a couple of projects that have been on my list...

I have spent a bit of time lately designing and stitching up a very special, cuddly toy. Introducing 'Betsy'...

'Betsy' is very special as she is going to be the item that I am entering into a Showcase by 'Becky's Bits' to raise money for hearing impaired children. I tried making her apparel as 'loud' as possible as the fundraising day is called 'Loud Shirt Day'. 'Betsy' is made out of milky brown polar fleece. 'Betsy' herself is handstitched, however, her pink/purple floral and spearmint dress is a mixture of handsewn/machine sewn. I wanted to add some detail to her outfit so I stitched on a fuscia pink 'belt' and added a gather at her neckline. A fuscia pink bow tops off her look. All her clothing is stitched on and is not removable.

'Betsy' is teamed up with a matching headband that her new owner can wear...

Using the same floral and spearmint fabric, I made a shabby chic flower base, embellished with a fuscia pink yo-yo and spearmint button. This item is handstitched onto a purple, stretch lace band.

I also needed to make a '50th birthday' card for a male friend of ours. I ended up making a set, giving one to the lucky boy and the rest I will take to market...

I often find masculine cards tricky, however, since experimenting with using photos in my Fathers Day cards, I have enjoyed altering photos and using them in my cards. With these cards, I used a river holiday photo, put it through a 'soft' filter and highlighted the blue hues in order to tie the photos in with the blue papers I used.

Thanks for looking :)