Welcome Stranger!

It's been so busy here in Magpieheaven, as we're helping my mum pack up to move. We've been contacting removal firms this weekend and making lots of 'to do' lists!  It looks as if the house sale is going through and she will be living in a lovely, spacious flat about ten minutes down the road from us. The kitchen is still on hold as Kevin crafts away at the cupboards (Well, I hope that's what he's doing) and this weekend our daughter kindly painted our bathroom and toilet. This is just as well because a new family member has flown over all the way from Canada and even if the kitchen isn't finished we felt at least we should try to impress him with the bathroom! Friday was my birthday and as well as presents and cards from my immediate family, I received a wonderful package from Dianne in Canada - my Magpie Cousin. She is the loveliest friend and I met her through WOYWW back in April 2013 when I was a really new blogger. She filled a package full of the most wonderful things that seemed tailor-made for me! As well as a lovely wooden box I can alter, there was this terrific tag, which you can see over on her blog:

Dianne has a great way of creating tags from recycled cards originally produced by an investment company to explain their pension figures. If you pull the top gently another tag within slides out...She sent me some of these back in the summer so I had better get busy and put them to good use because they look amazing when decorated! The background papers Dianne created herself are such deep, rich colours.

The sentiments she chose for the tag were just perfect and they all meant so much to me. Dianne is just the best recycling Magpie ever: I can't believe some of the wonderful images on this tag were from a packet of Tea Bags! There was the loveliest little bird-nest charm with eggs in it on the tag, which you can see more clearly on Dianne's blog; tea-dyed fabrics and lace and lots of brilliant shiny things... but there was also this little fellow sent by Dianne to live in my incense garden that I created for the #3UP Paper Artsy Challenge!

He has already made himself at home and, if it weren't for a touch of jet-lag, he would be blogging himself. From his place in the incense garden, he can keep an eye on the whole family; but he's keeping his distance from Daisy, the cat!

Here's a bird's eye view of him relaxing in his new abode. Thank you so very much, Dianne for making my birthday so special. May you and all visitors to Magpieheaven have a great creative week!