Emma's Emporium..

okay, you have been asking for pictures and as the revamp is now complete here are a few.....welcome to Emma's Emporium

the front of the store with a rather elegant Victorian lady pushing her perambulator inside which is a tiny baby and of course all the blankets and pillow.  The dog is sitting on the door step waiting to go in to the shop - all will be revealed in a minute.  There is a display in each window of a hat and parasol.

Inside the shop we have an area for the customer - a sofa, needlepoint footstool, cheval mirror, display case and shelf and a coffee table set for tea.  Emma stand behind her glass counter and behind the Japanese screen is a sewing area.  Two double candle holders light the shop and there are 2 cross stitched pictures on the walls. 

A closer view of Emma and her counter and the Japanese screen on which hangs a silk negligee.  The drawers in the counter contain miniature sets of underwear, tiny ladies' slippers, hat pins, gloves, silk bags and the nightdress to match the negligee.  On the counter is a till and quill pen, a lace pillow with bobbins, a mirror and a pearl necklace.

the sewing corner has a sewing table complete with Victoria sewing machine and candlestick telephone.  Also a paper dress pattern, scissors and a tiny work basket with miniscule reels of cotton.  Under the table the cat sleeps in her basket (now you know why the dog wants to come in) and normally there is a chair and a tailors dummy (I removed them to take the photo).

a closer view of the customer sitting enjoying a cup of tea and without the child to drive her mad.

The only thing I may add is a seamstress to sit at the sewing table and possibly some hanging baskets outside, oh and a lantern outside - oops better stop now or the list will get too long.

All boxed out....

...the final box in the cupboard waiting to be altered and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it....

it reminds me of a cake.  I used my beloved Tim HoltzIdea-ology Vintage Shabby Papers to cover the gesso'ed box, colouring the edges of the pieces with VersaMagic in gingerbread.

I made the roses from scraps of the TH paper using Marianne dies, added some pearls in various colours and diamante pins to finish the top.

A close up of the centre.

I added cream guipure lace trim around the side of the lid and diamante pins to each corner.  To 3 of the pins I added a TH Idea-ology token.  A couple of pearls to the base of each side and that was the sides finished.

The isde of the lid was covered with sections of the paper to match the outside of the lid.  The base was lined with a large piece of the paper and panels of the paper to the side.  I added a rose to each corner and four small flowers to the centre.

finally the box stands on 4 TH Idea-ology feet,  my box is complete and I have absolutely no idea what I am going to keep in it, I just want to look at it.

Two little boxes...

....it's playtime!!!!  I made the first of these boxes some time ago and the second blank box has been languishing in the drawer ever since.  I love altering boxes and adore keeping my things in them - it's so nice to go to a cupboard and see this array of pretty boxes, it just makes the day seem brighter.  So yesterday I altered the second box.

I'm not sure that the photo shows that I used crackle paint on the first one and the blue roses were made using a Marianne die.

I wanted to cover the second box in lace and the only suitable lace I had for the top was white - not a suitable colour - so I tinted it using a Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink pad.  I love this little box and now to find something to store in it.

and it's back to crafting....

...not in the mood for making cards (think I overdid it pre-op) but fancied getting painty and messy so I took two sets of these....

and I turned them into these....

the plan is to put a couple of small pieces of jewellery inside them as gifts for the girls.

A Book of Note

I recently made this little Book of Note for a swap challenge - it was so easy to make using my Bind It All that I think I'll make a few more, they are handy to keep by you for little presents.

no new stuff but...

...I know some are asking how I got on - well the answer is fine.  After over 4hours of surgery I was sent home 2 hours later admittedly with a list of do's and don'ts and a couple of boxes of heavy sedation but I was just relieved to be back home.  I'm in plaster and bandages from my toes to my knee and not really allowed to do much at all but it is amazing how we women can improvise a bit and still manage to get things done whilst following the doctors orders, I even managed a little ironing last night.  Despite all the warnings of terrible pain to be expected I haven't had any, in fact only took the pain tablets for 24 hours.  It's a bit sore now but I am putting that down to the bones all knitting and healing.  Back to the hospital next Tuesday and I will be begging and pleading for a walking plaster - would get down on my knees to beg but that's not possible at the moment - not sure I'll get a lot of joy but you dont know if you dont ask.

The only snag is I cannot sit at my craft desk at the moment but am going to have a try at the weekend as it is piling up with stuff coming in from my craft group girls.  However I am not entirely wasting my time and have managed to knit a cardigan for Mya and a scarf for myself.  A big thank you to all who have been asking how I am and for all the beautiful cards - I will get round to emailing people soon.  I am sure my recovery is going so smoothly as I have so many people on my side, thank you each and every one of you.  Hopefully normal service will be resumed very soon and I'll have stuff to blog but for now I'll leave you with a photo of my pal who watches nervously every time I try out my crutches......

Sew...

I have just received my Joanna Sheen Haberdashery stamps and have a whole range of cards planned around these, sadly only time to make one for now so here is the Get Well card I made - and no it's not for me....hopefully my next blog will be 'live' and not pre-posted.