Goodies from the Postman

I've received two arches recently and both are stunners. This blue arch is from Dotti Cullen and was her swap from the Surface Design group challenge. She's given it the title of "A river runs through it". The photos don't do any of the arches or cards justice they are much brighter in real life. Dotti's card has been made using that Angelina type fibre in a thin strip, I've forgotten its name. She layered the fabrics, free machined circles , and distressed it with her heat gun so that the background fabric shows through. The beading and stitching really set it off and its now on my wall of fame. Anne-Marie arch is part of the Textile Challenge group swap and she also has named her creation "Burnt Offerings". Unlike the burnt food you normally throw out this arch is incredible and has gone onto my wall of fame. It consists of layers of fabric, sheers, paint, heat distressed fabrics, beads and a beautifully swirly thread spiral with a tail on the end.

The first two of the ArtnstheMail swap "U is for" arrived over the weekend. U is for Umbrella from Leslie and U is for Uncle Sam from Priscilla.
The private swap group theme for September was "Colour Me" based on your favourite colour. Cindy's is Blue and her card has a lovely sisha mirror in the centre of the flower for effect. Brigitte's favourite colour is Red and I love her red feather in the corner.
Jennifer's colour me card is based on green and entitled "The grass is greaner on the other side" It has a felted background in two shades of green and a neat little fence to show 'the other side'.
Christine's card is a mixed media card of painted, stamped and stencilled paper with stitch and shows her favourite colour of blue. My cards I'll post tomorrow once I've got the backs on them.

I had a lovely surpise today, I won the Surface Design 'Recycled Wallhanging' challenge with the piece I blogged about the other day under the heading of "Going Mad". So I get to pick which wallhanging I would like from all of the great ones and I chose Christine Davey's "Flower Power" hanging. I can't wait for it to arrive.