7 Things You Don't Know About Me!

I have been tagged in this fun 'blog-a-round' in which the person reveals 7 things that you might not know and then tags 7 more people. I was tagged by Maria Even though she is one of my best friends there were still things I didn't know about her! Do pop over and see what she shared and the other beautiful and fun things she has on her blog.

So now for mine...

1. When I was 4 years old I lost my sight! Cataracts is hereditary in our family. I had 4 operations during the following year and went to special boarding school for 2 years. I had another operation when I was 9 years old. I wear contact lenses and so I look 'normal' and feel 'normal'! It is amazing that I can do craft things and especially making jewellery as the year I was blind is the time when you learn lots of things including fine motor skills! I count myself blessed to have my sight and be able to make lots of pretty things!

2. Despite the fact I love and wear a lot of pink my favourite colour is Jade green probably because of a beautiful necklace of my Great-Grandmothers that I used to look at in my mum's jewellery box all shades of green and blue and sparkly! Before I learned to drive I always wanted a jade green convertible I saw driving around town.

This picture doesn't do it justice!

3. I look for patterns in lots of things...It is subconscious but I'm getting more aware of it. Now I don't just mean pretty patterns that you look at although that is included but things like patterns in numbers and words, music and other sounds. It's really hard to explain and I can't find an example right now.

4. I am a collector and have 3 main collections, Porcelain Dolls that are sadly in boxes on my wardrobe. I thought since they weren't on display and just taking up room I should part with them but I got them out a couple of months back and I still love them! I also collect fans (the kind that cool you down) and Willow Tree ornaments. The Willow tree are all especially chosen to represent some aspect of my life...like Angel of Friendship which is an angel with a puppy and I got that not long after I got my first ever doggy Dulcie.

5. I have had Chicken Pox more than once and no it wasn't shingles but the actual Pox. By my reckoning I've had it at least 5 times and possibly
7 in varying degrees. The latter times was just a few spots and didn't really affect me too much but earlier times I have had it very severely including in my throat. One time when I was working in a nursery I got it and couldn't sleep for several weeks! My mum had it when she was carrying me and we think that might be why I've had it so often.

6. I love Star Trek, not the original series so much but The Next Generation, Voyager, the recent films and Deep Space Nine and Enterprise occasionally! When I had depression and lived on my own the crew of the Enterprise was like being with family when mine was 400 miles away!

7. I love names and meanings and will find any excuse to put my head in a baby name book despite not having any babies of my own (apart from my pup and yes I did choose her name from a baby name book!)

Oh Gosh! now who shall I tag? Ummm

Sara from Gitzen Girl
The Polka Dot Closet
Jo of Tanglefrost
Karen from All About The Boys
Cassia  who's just announced she's having a baby! Congratulations Cassia!
Caroline from Chain of Daisies
Teri and Amber at Gemalicious Beads
Dilly at Dilly Dolly

Right that's it! I will just have to notify these lovely people above now! a job that can wait til tomorrow

Treat Yourself Tuesday!

Welcome to this weeks Treat Yourself Tuesday! I have just this afternoon finished crocheting my first baby blanket for my friends baby due next month all I need to do is sew the ribbon in. So in honour of this achievement I have chosen a gorgeous crocheted item from a seller on Etsy.

This beautiful Shrug is by Trendy Knitting

At approximately £45 it would definitely be a treat and a special shrug for a special occasion! It would surely get you some lovely comments! Now in my creative way I wonder how it is made and if I could get a pattern but at the same time I look at it and think I couldn't make something like that! I'm a bit scared of shaping garments you see. 

Anyway I do hope you pop over to this lovely shop where there are loads more beautiful crocheted items to admire and buy as that special treat for you or as a gift for someone very special! I hope you will also pop into my etsy shop while you are there too.

Thanks for popping by. I hope you'll leave a message to let me know you've been here! Have a good week!

Treat Yourself Tuesday!

Hi welcome to week 3 of Treat Yourself Tuesday! On Saturday my friend Maria and I met up for a day of shopping for the first time (meeting up) in 5 years! It was a lovely day and we just fell into being together and chatting away. One of the things we looked at were rings (Rings are Maria's one weakness) so in honour of that this weeks theme is Rings and I will be choosing from the very large and lovely selection on Art Fire.

This weeks selection will cover some lovely items that would be affordable treats or gifts to some more expensive rings that are what we would like in our dreams! 

Talking of dreams our first ring is called Rainbow Dreams which I'm really identifying at present with my Rainbow themed shops and the fact that I have something to dream about right now (shhhh it's a secret)

This is by Glam Glass Gifts

This is a gorgeous lampwork ring by Lara Lutrick

I have seen these gorgeous buttons on Etsy and wandered what I could do with them so when I saw what Simply Stacy Jewelry Designs had done with it I had to include this ring in my post oh and it's on sale!

I do love this ring by Illuminating Designs by Connie very mediaeval and romantic!

 Now for something fun....

a pincushion ring! Very cute and useful too! This is by dottyral

and something very expensive for dreaming....

A Diamond and Ceylon Sapphire ring for a mere ...... £2121! oh and a few pence! And it has to be a sapphire! That's my birthstone. This is handmade by Laurie Sarah Designs

I hope you have enjoyed my choices! There are so many more I could have featured so I'll save them for another post! Don't forget to pop over to these sellers shops to see all the other stunning items they are selling and if you want to pop over to our shop too we'd love to see you there!

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2011! We hope this year is a great one for you!

We thought you might like to know what Rainbow Cottage has planned for 2011!

On our blog look out for 'Treat Yourself Tuesday' This idea is still under thought but what We do know is we will be featuring one or more products that would make a lovely treat for yourself or as a gift for a friend! We will be drawing them from all the mains sites that we list on...Etsy, Folksy, Dawanda, Art Fire and Zibbet. It may be that we feature an entire shop occasionally for those wonderful shops where everything is beautiful! So we hope you will be back to see our first feature on Tuesday!

I (Teri) never thought I would be able to make rings but there is an idea forming so do look out for rings coming to our shops soon! I'm also going to be making more Cuffs in a variety of colours as I know gold is not everyone's favourite! I have also bought new clasps for the gold cuffs I already have which will make them a pretty feature and easier to do up alone (cos we all know what a fiddle it is to do up a bracelet on your own)

So what else is going to be new for 2011? Well one of my (Teri's) new years resolutions is to lose weight which means keeping my hands busy in the evening so I will be doing lots more crochet and hope to make some lovely things like bags and blankets for our shop. Our dining room is now clear so we can get our sewing machines out and use up my very large stash of materials and make some very pretty shabby chic bits! If there is something you would like to have and it's not in my shop why not drop us an email and we will try to make whatever it is you require...just for you!

I (Jan) am intending on getting out my knitting needles and want to learn cross stitch and lace making so I'm sure we will be featuring more items made by me in our shops soon.

We also intend to make sure our Rainbow's Attic shop is stocked up so you crafters out there can find plenty to inspire and fulfil your creativity! We are opening a new sister shop initially on Art fire called Cottage Garden Poems (empty for now but will putting the postcards in the next week or so) for the original poetry postcards my dad has written and may open shops on the other sites for them to. I'll see how they go first. Look out for other products using his poetry this year!

Well it has been good for me to write this! It is very invigorating to have aims so you know where you're heading! So I hope this has interested and maybe excited you and you'll keep popping by to see how we're getting on and what's new! We will of course keep you up to date with new products as they get listed in our shops!

So wishing you again a very happy 2011!

Love Teri and Jan xx