Very lame this week

Sorry, things have got a bit hectic this last week so the camera has been resigned to the corner of the room. I've done loads of Christmassy stuff lately but I'm still not really feeling in the spirit of things. Maybe once I get the central heating on things will change. 

There's still so much I want to make, not just for work but for presents for family. I've decided that I really shouldn't buy anything else until I've used at least 10% of my stash so the bank account will be safe till at least May time!

Check out the latest issue of Sew magazine www.sewmag.co.uk to see the embroidered jewellery I've made plus a cute Tilda laptop satchel. I'm going to adapt these ideas to make vintage style covered hardbacked notebooks with strappy closures.

Next issue of Crafts Beautiful www.crafts-beautiful.com has got more Tilda in it, this time their Winter Bird range. 

I love Tone Finnanger's designs, she is a genius!










 

 

There's also a mini cakestand and cupcake pots made from polymer clay to display on your dressing table. 

The full instructions for both these projects (and some more stunning photography) are in the forthcoming December issue of Crafts Beautiful.

It makes me laugh, every time I make something it's become the norm for my daughter to ask,

'Who's that for? 
Is it for Aceville? 
Oh good, that's mine afterwards then!' 

No wonder there's no room to move in her bedroom!

c

x

More stuff

Hey hey, less than a week this time, must be something wrong with me! These last few days I've mostly been sewing Christmassy stuff for Sew magazine.... and of course I've ordered some more fabric because I'm in such short supply! Get it before the price of cotton goes up too much, that's my excuse!

I've also been playing around with some jewellery products for a forthcoming video demo. It's still 2 weeks away but I know that when the time comes I'll be woefully unprepared and all my fingernails will break the night before. If you're interested have a look on youtube for The Crafts Channel and I'll be there in all my glory!

It was only the other day that I actually saw one of my demos with the sound on. I tend not to watch them too much (as the camera adds ten pounds that I can ill afford), and I'm stunned at how noticeable my lisp is. Why has no-one ever told me this?

Anyway, I digress, here are some bits for your delectation!

The lighting's a bit rubbish on this but I've stained the brass leaf with Copic markers in a graduating tint from left to right. The butterfly charm and flattened beadcap are attached with a rivet and the various holes have been made in the shape with a really handy little punch/setter from Palmer Metals. 

Again, the lighting's lousy but it's late and I can't be bothered to get up and take the picture somewhere else!

The diamante centre of the pendant is black Crystal Clay set into a shallow oval bezel and then embedded with pointy back chatons in a symmetrical pattern. Once all the crystals were in place I dusted over the whole thing with some coppery mica powder using a small paintbrush.

The key is from Tierracast and the bezel was from, you guessed it, ebay!

Finally a big thankyou to Karen at Fiddlesticks Fabrics who very kindly let me keep the accidentally sent fabric. Should have mentioned her the oher week when I posted a pic of the brightly coloured quilt as most the fabric for that one came from her.  

Right, that's all folks.

C

x

another week, more projects

So here we are again, another week's shot past with nothing posted. 

What a surprise!

But in fairness to myself I have been busy making polymer clay cupcakes, furry handwarmers, birthday cards, Easter chickens and other peculiar stuff for the time of year. I keep forgetting to take pictures before I bring the stuff into work so you can get a sneak preview so instead I've dug out a project that appeared recently in Sew magazine. Full instructions for this are on their website 

http://www.sewmag.co.uk/index.php/sewing_projects/view/perfect_pouch/ is the link for this little number.

It's great as a quick pressie for a favourite niece and I used cotton print fabric from Fabric Rehab.

I've also been messing around with Sizzix dies to create applique projects (again, the handwarmer that's set to appear in Sew's December issue)

You do tend to get into the mindset that diecutters are just for cardstock but if you back your fabric with a fusible webbing the shapes are brilliant for stitched projects.

Here's a funky bird cushion that I appliqued and then quilted before making up.

I couldn't tell you fabric used but i know there's a bit of Tilda in there and some random polka dots that i've acquired over the years!

Must....stop....buying......fabric.....

At least until next week.

Where's the weekend gone?

So, after several traumatic attempts to blog from my phone I've resigned myself to the fact that I really need to boot up the laptop occasionally. The weekend has passed in a blur of kids' Valentine's project work and I still have Mothers' Day and Easter to think of before mid October. No wonder my life passes me by so quickly!

Finally managed to persuade my daughter to clear everything out of the Wendy house so that I can take it down and rebuild it into something we can both stand up in. Armed with handfuls of conkers (to ward off the spiders) she successfully packed it all into five boxes that I've stowed in the shed....makes me wonder why I could never even get through the door for stuff in the first place. Where has it all gone?

Took some pictures the other day, while the sun was shining and there were still some flowers in the garden. I'd made some quilts recently and thought I ought to take a record them before they were given away or someone split something on them!

The first was made for my friend's grand-daughter using Tanya Whelan's Grand Revival fabrics from Rowan. I'd made something similar to go in Crafts Beautiful magazine but this time I used a heavier weight wadding and it's made it nice and puffy. My quilting is very basic; lots of squares and a bit of edging!

This next one was published in an earlier issue of Sew magazine, again using the Grand Revival cottons. This one was hand quilted in a pattern of stripes, squares and hearts with a lighter weight wadding and is currently resided on the end of my bed although my daughter keeps nicking it!

 

And this last one's the original quilt I made for said daughter as I felt I should do something that wasn't for work. I bought about 12 fat quarters off ebay (don't let me near ebay, I shop way too much!) and made a random pattern from all her favourite colours. I backed it with an old brushed cotton sheet and trimmed the edges with mini pompom trim. Two weeks later I promised to give her room a much needed redecoration and she decided that she'd like a shabby chic vintage style in pale pinks, greens and creams......doesn't really go now does it?

Oh, and I'll end on an ironic note.

After watching my water bill steadily increase over 18 months we've made a concerted effort to stop wasting water by pouring leftover bath water down the loo using a bucket. I was feeling so virtuous when Veolia rang me to say they were concerned about my latest meter reading as my consumption had changed dramatically. Yes, dramatically in the wrong direction...I had used twice as much as usual in the last six months!

They're sending a leak checker man out to me Tuesday week..........

c

x

Here's hoping.....

Ok, so bear with me, this is the first of hopefully many more crafty posts to come.

I say that, but you know what it's like. There are just too many things to make and not enough hours in the day and I'd really rather be doing something more constructive than sitting at a computer.

I will try but you may find there are more pictures than words.

You probably only want to look at the pictures anyway. My life is invariably so mundane that anything I say I've probably said before so be satisfied with stuff I've made or stuff I'm insanely jealous of or just stuff that makes me happy and I won't bore you with the details of my life... much.

As a starter (just to prove to myself that I can actually blog successfully)  heres a cute babygro decorated with Tulip 3D paints that I did a year or so ago. The main shapes were applied from the tube using a brush. When the first layer had dried the spots and lettering were added straight from the tube.

And to show that I can work all the controls here are some links to the main sites that I work for....

www.sewmag.co.uk

www.crafts-beautiful.com

www.makejewellerymagazine.com