Studio Friday link buttonAt Studio Friday today the topic is sparkle, shimmer and shine! I love all three words, the are beautiful and fits great together with my April month, birthday, cat and all. Today I’m showing you the home made birthday presents I got – things that have spread extra shimmer and shine to my life.

Once I was complaining that we give so much home made stuff away but friends and family hardly ever take the time to even send a card back… Well I take all of those complaints back today! I have so many crafty and nice people in my life!

I hope this post will inspire you to make and give more – of everything! Krympburk

A beautifully wrapped gift from Maria (of blog Skapande) I got a home crafted wooden jar specially for me (!), in Swedish called krympburk (old Swedish technique according to Maria). You can tell it’s mine if you know what I like, and Maria sure does! (krympburkar in other beautiful Swedish styles here)

Button up my heartFrom my friend Li (of the blog h2o hexagons) I got a home crafted little wall hanging in a wooden frame.

It’s a button heart in my favourit colours. I love it, because it’s so cute. I don’t know if I’ll hang it on the wall or follow Li’s suggestion and use the heart for something else… A pillow or a bag perhaps.

Garland pennantMy blog friend Susan (of Shoes and Ships) couldn’t come, but she sent me a home made CD with great music and a beautiful cover (or two covers!) and a pink garland in fabric that she made for me! The pennants was waving in the light breeze on my birthday outside my parents house. It was the best way to show how beautiful that day was for me!

Easter treatsAnd easter birthday gifts for a Easter April Fool of course. –>

The bunny bowl is made by my aunt, who recently picked up sewing (about two years ago) and is now as obsessed as my mother. When her family moved to a big house last summer she got a whole little room for her crafts, a Winnie the Pooh room. The bunny was filled with candy, as was the pink hen that my mothers mother (my granny) sewed for me. Mom got one two, but mine was the best! Crazy quilted in pink – wow! And it was me who told Granny about CQ too, that is fun. Click picture to view larger!

Pink chickens - table decoration Dad and bro Pink butterflies Pink cake
My mother is The Crafter. I don’t know how she has all this time? She is the one who made pink easter chickens out of toilet-paper rolls for table decoration, bought pink shirts for my dad and little bro (as my party was a Pink party), bought sparkly pink butterflies for the kitchen table and also bought two big pink cakes for me and my guests. Mmm!

Table clothShe also gave me a pink table cloth that she quilted in a very romantic style, which I looove.

You can view the whole table cloth here.

Cat quilt from momMom also asked around with her quilting friends for cat fabrics to make a very soft and beautiful cat quilt for Smilla! She managed to get some squares, so that all the fabrics in this quilt features cats! We both love it!

I got lots and lots more, specially stuff to craft with (yarn, paints, brushes, paper, pens, canvases, money, magazines), but I can not write about it all here.

As you can imagine my life is a bit more sparkly this April. I have good friends and relatives – and the best mom.

Thanks for reading all the way through this big post. Thank you every one of you who sent me good wishes, presents, came to visit or just smiled at my happiness when visiting the blog! THANK YOU!

Please comment if you have the time!