Reel It In...

Isn't it weird how small the world has become?  Internet and mobile phones have reduced the distances to seconds... I grew up as an expat child in Libya (I can mention this now because people all of a sudden actually know where I am talking about) and distances were truly distant back then, we couldn't phone friends and family (most didn't have a phone), there were no computers and Interwebs or VOIP phones and we had to rely on snail mail for any news from back home.  We went home once a year during the school summer vacation, visited Grandparents, bought everything we couldn't get and then went back for another year... it was just the way it was and whilst we also didn't have televisions, news took a while to seep through and was old before we learned of it.
A few weeks ago I got a message on Facebook from a lady I have never met who mentioned that she had been reading my blog and would I be kind enough to tell her where the British Chippie was in Calgary that I mentioned going to!!  LOL  It seemed her husband was out here in Calgary working and rather fancied a nice fish supper and that she lived in North East Scotland not far from where my home is!!
Anyways, a few emails back and forth and Frances asked if there was anything I couldn't get.... YES!!  Bisto Gravy Granuals!!  So she kindly went shopping and bought me some gravy granuals and got her husband to bring them out to Calgary after his next trip home.  How cool is that?  Aren't people nice, especially scrapbooker type people who in my opinion are amongst the most generous and friendly types of folk that exist.
So I thought I would make her something to say Thank You... but what to make?  I made a small canvas and then wondered if it was her style... I thought about making a mini book but then decided that perhaps the weight might be an issue... then a light bulb flickered dimly for a few minutes in my brain and I made her this... now, I will point out that the cotton reel box is not my idea.... I saw a version of it on a blog a couple of weeks ago and loved it and I would like to be able to point you in the direction to see the original version but I can't find it again... do you have any idea how many blogs I visit in any given week?  I'm hoping that if she sees this, perhaps she would leave me a comment and I can then add a link to the original and thank her for the inspiration.  Oh how I love the blogging world!!  Michelle saw this and realised I was referring to her lovely cotton reel box!! Thank you Michelle, your little box was truly inspiring!!

Yes, it's a cotton reel (or spool if depending on which side of the pond you happen to be)!! And don't you love those teeny cotton reel hanging from the big one?

and the lid comes off and inside is a snippet roll.

Here is the snippet roll...

I had fun decorating the top with sewing paraphanalia...I painted it so that the chipboard would have a wood effect look about it.

and look what I made it out of!!  LOL  A Bisto Gravy tub... it seemed fitting to upcycle it for her.