owls from the UK

I'm very glad to own a little something from Suki of The Owl Club - I have been following along her crafty adventures and admiring her creativity and retro patterned cloth finds for a good while. I recommend her blog for thorough reading and idea-stalking, but if you check out just one thing from her recent creative posts, it should be this brilliant cat plushy she made!

I've signed up to the Craft It Forward 2013 challenge on her blog. She made me a little felt owl brooch which I feel like pinning to my favourite dress-down jersey. (By the way, I wonder if it's wrong to be so attached to a plain jersey and wanting to adorn it with brooches?) There was also a vintage cotton print button badge that she makes in the parcel - with my furry brooch in tow, I'm spoilt for choice!

Here's the owl brooch together with the furry brooch I thrifted recently, adorning said jersey, and also my vintage Wetherall alpaca coat. I was planning to take a picture of myself wearing the brooches with my fave tee, my hair trailing down romantically and snow all around, but while posing on the balcony I spotted a man on a balcony opposite keeping a close eye on my activities which prompted my shy self to scurry indoors quickly, with a cameraphone full of shaky blurred images... So instead, here are a couple of pictures of my modelling in front of the snow-coloured wallpaper...

I probably mentioned somewhere before that I love hand sewing. The maker's handwriting and personal touch is right there in the work, I don't believe it can get more signature-like than that in needle craft! I also received sweet retro patterned stickers and a playing card that has a very cool reverse with two owls beaming at each other wisely. This one is going on the wall in a frame!

And now a memory from many years ago:

Receiving an owly package from the UK has brought to memory the time I was gifted a day at a bird sanctuary in Kent. I had the opportunity to handle birds of prey, like this wonderful long-eared owl above called Mr. Cuddles. I also flew Harris hawks, and gazed at a fierce-looking buzzard real up close, while it was sitting on my gloved arm grabbing the thick leather with his terrifyingly huge claws. Despite the typical English weather, drizzling rain and toes freezing in wellington boots we had a super day, meeting wonderful animals and their friendly, knowledgeable handlers...

Suki, thank you ever so much for making this owl brooch for me bearing your very own hand-writing in those stitches! I will cherish it and it will surely be getting a tour of this little Finnish town while pinned onto jerseys and coats of mine!

Update on my progress with my own Craft It Forward packages - I have finally made my decision on what I'm making for each of you 5 people...! Good things come to those who wait, as they say.