Guess What?

 I won first prize.

Everyone was totally taken with the tree, fascinated at what it was and the detail of it. So many people thought, from a distance, that it looked like velvet and then when they got up close, and realised it was actually tea bags, they were amazed. They didn't even realise, to begin with, who had created it as it sat on my colleagues' desk not mine. Then I got heaps of questions about its creation, the time involved, how I dyed the tea bags etc

So many positive comments and the judges thought so too.

Bring it on 2026. Last year we got 2nd place in the competition and this year 1st place. Got a reputation to maintain here, what will the competition be next year?

It is Finished

 The tree is now finished and just needs to be moved to the office

I am so pleased with the tea pot I found to place on the top. I have the lights pouring out of the spout

Jigsaw 29 - The Bizarre Bookshop

 One I got off of marketplace and was intrigued by the colours, design and intricate detail. In true form, I thought it would be easy but the colour was so intricate and fine that it took some real doing to get the right location.

But I loved all the titles of the books, the qwerky little animals and characters hidden around the bookcase, in between the books

Kudos to the artist on the intricate detail of the whole design

Crafting for Work

 Yes, you read that title correctly, I am crafting something for work.

For a competition within our office. Last year there was a Christmas theme decoration of your desk area. We built a Gingerbread house! The post about it can be found here.

This year, it was a Christmas Tree competition. I immediately knew what I wanted to do and so in consultation with my desk/pod mates, I told what I wanted to do, and they were happy to let me run with it.

Quite a few years ago, a friend of mine had created a tree for a display that was quirky, creative, Christmas themed and latched into New Zealand style.

In other words, a New Zealand Tea Tree.

A Christmas tree that represented the native Tea Tree that we have in NZ (Leptospermum, commonly known as Manuka or New Zealand Tea Tree, is a versatile native shrub prized for its vibrant flowers, aromatic foliage, and ecological benefits)

A Tree that represents all of this, made entirely from tea bags, yes, tea bags.

I set about dying over 200 brand new tea bags, four different colours and then laced them onto a wire mesh frame.

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Drying in the sunshine

Almost there, just need to add the top and the lights

Jigsaw 28 - The Village Show

 This one I received for my birthday the other week. After finishing the previous one that took a little bit of thinking, then it was nice to do one that flowed nicely with some main colour areas. Again, I started with the flags and worked down.

Flowers for a Friend

A friend just had some surgery, and I wanted to let her know I was thinking about her, flowers are my way of doing that, and even flowers that will not wilt and die.

I have so much paper to use, but still struggle to decide what colour to create. Although this time, I asked the recipient what her favourite colour was the week before, which gave me at least some form of guidance.

I need to teach myself to make some different shaped flowers so that I can do a bouquet of different flowers and not ones that are all the same shape.

They were greatly received and I love that they will last longer than a fresh bouquet.