Handcrafts from some creative friends

Here are some special handcrafted items I would like to share with all of you. They were gifts from some of my very creative friends for a recent birthday. It is really fun to have friends who are creative because we all tend to inspire one another, even if we live at a distance. Hopefully you will be inspired by their creativity as much as I have been!

Here is a birthday card made by my friend J. I love its vintage look!

Here's a scan of the same card so you can see the details better. Love the scallop-y edge and the pearl cotton threaded through and tied in a little bow! Perfect finishing touch with that illustration.

J. also made me a hotpad with some vintage fabric and using a vintage pattern. The yellow strawberry print goes perfectly in my kitchen!

Here's the back, to show the pretty design.

Here's a bookmark which J. also made and added to the package. One of my favorite verses here!

And the back of the bookmark which she made using some embossed scrapbook paper. J. made a bookmark just like this for herself.

My friend Mrs. D also made me a hotpad with a strawberry theme! Isn't that fun? This one is embroidered. I think she said she found the partially finished design at a thrift shop. She completed the stitching and then sewed it into a hotpad.

Here is the back. She used a Mary Englebreit cherry print fabric -- she knows ME's art is another of my favorite things.

Hope you have enjoyed this peek at a few of my handcrafted birthday gifts. Thanks, J. and Mrs. D!