From The Sublime To The Ridiculous ….

There has been a flurry of knitting in our office of late …. we are sooooo on trend! And it would have looked rude of me not to join in …. so when one of the girls bought in a lovely pattern book I decided to tackle this gorgeous and very simple little cardigan, that you knit in one piece.  I decided to do it in a denim blue wool as I don’t done whites and pastels for babies!!  However,  as someone who likes to see her knitting grow very quickly I am finding the size 10 needles a little frustrating …… I seem to knit for ages, row upon row and then find I have only done an inch or so!!

So this could be the answer to my frustrations ….. or the cause of it …. don’t be fooled by the picture above …. this wool is seriously mahooosive!

I bought a pair of size 15mm needles to knit with, but I don’t think I will be able to lounge as I usually do when knitting …. I think that they will demand that I sit up straight!

I was originally thinking I would knit a huge infinity scarf/snood but I don’t particularly like the pattern on ball band and finding free patterns for this brand/type of wool on the net is proving hard …. but then again,  I am also thinking super chunky cushions for my lounge would also be a very on trend -London Lounging type option! So if anyone can point me in the direction of a free pattern or two I would be grateful …….

Not Such A Brilliant Idea ….

My idea for “preserving” a few dandelion clock seeds didn’t quite work, I wanted something magical ….. I don’t think I succeeded!The little blighters were a devil to “pluck” with my eyebrow tweezers and then put into a small bottle (The Works 99p for 6), every time I breathed they went everywhere …

I added a little Hunkdory Diamond Sparkles for a little extra magic …. but it seemed to cling to the sides of the glass rather than to the seeds … so all in all,  a little disappointing …..

I have found some lovely things while Googling ……

http://www.storenvy.com/products/340731-dandelion-necklace-make-a-wish-glass-bead-orb-silver-necklace-botanical-glob

http://wanelo.com/store/XercesArt

http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WishesontheWind?ref=seller_info

And I haven’t entirely given up on the idea, but I think I need to be a little more delicate ….  and think less is more …. However breaking the rule immediatley ….. I think I might embellish the bottle a tiny little bit to make up for my first not so successful result …. so watch this space!!

Pastel Coloured Doodled Card

This card measures 5.5ins x 5.5ins and is made using a hand cut blank in white linen effect card.
The sentiment circle comes from Craftwork Cards.
http://www.craftworkcards.co.uk/products/by-category/2/20/sentiments.html

Just Married Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.
Something very less is more today, using my trusty old sewing machine, who decided to have a bit of a crisis when I was putting the card together …. all my fault …..
…. I put the background of the card together first, using a little glue to hold it in place to stop it slipping ….. but unbeknownst to me,  behind the card all sorts of shenanigans were going on …..
….. aghhhh, all down to some decidedly shonky threading up!!!
However, I decided to turn this negative as a positive, and rather than start again used the excess thread that had accumulated to add dimension to the card, no one need ever know, well only you!

You can get the button from Totally Buttons for 85p http://www.totallybuttons.com/proddetail.php?prod=W1313_Wooden_button

Simple Doodled Tag

The blank wooden tag that I used for this post measures approximately 8.5cm x 6cm.  I’ve had a few of them for quite a while now and thought that it was about time I finally used them, so you’ll probably be seeing them pop up regularly until they are all gone!

I think both sides of the tag took me no more than ten minutes to doodle and then colour in.  I have resisted the urge to add glitter, add flat backed gems and varnish, going for a simple less is more effect  …. perhaps all the fiddle fart will come with the next one!

Doodled Paperweight

I was mooching in the back of one of my cupboards when I found one of the Poundland paperweight photo frames I’ve had squirreled away for ages and fancied a bit of a doodle!

It’s easy to miss these paperweights in Poundland because until you really pick them up,  it’s not that obvious what they are, but it really is worth popping a few in your basket.

It’s all very simple and no skill needed whatsoever …. just a fine liner pen, five/ten minutes doodling …..

……. followed by a bit of therapeutic colouring in!

But then …..  me being me, I just couldn’t resist adding a sprinkling of Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles ……

…. and, as there is a slight hollow under the paperweight,  it was possible to add a few yellow flat backed gems in the centre of the daisies, which gave the finished paperweight an extra depth.

When the gems and glitter were dry,  I put a little Ranger Glossy Accents round the edge of the paperweight and stuck the doodle down, leaving to dry overnight.  Then I trimmed the paper/card round the edges and simply stuck down the self adhesive velvet underneath that comes with the weight, done and dusted!  If I was being critical …. I wish I’d made the doodle a lot smaller to look like millefiori …. but that’s just me.

Children would love making these to give as presents for Granny, Granddad, Teachers, etc. and it’s also a lovely and different way to preserve their drawings ….. and for just £1 it’s a no brainer!

Fimo Heart Shaped Gift Tag

I am not sure if this tag is too less is more, but nevertheless am rather chuffed with it!
I love the pearl beads/pendants from WholePort, they are really good quality, they feel substantial and there is nothing cheap about them, if you know what I mean.  I did a quick dollar/pound conversion and they work out at £1.28 for 5 pieces – although P & P costs need to be added, however to be honest I have never found post charges from China that expensive, if you are prepared to wait a couple of weeks for your order.
As soon as I saw them, especially as I am  into tags at the moment,  I had an inkling as to what to do with them, but,  wasn’t entirely sure if my idea would work ……

I got out my white Fimo and a cookie cutter.  I added a little Hunkydory Diamond Sparkles to the Fimo as I kneaded it for a very subtle glittery effect,  before rolling it out and cutting the heart shapes tags.

I stamped the hearts with my docrafts With Love stamp (MTY 906118), and then made a hole at the top and bottom of each heart,  before baking in the oven for 30 mins at 130C/265F

When the hearts were cold I attached the pearl bead/pendant to a 10mm gold jump ring through the bottom hole and another jump ring at the top for a 2mm piece of ribbon to hang.

As this was all a bit of trial and error, I am really pleased with the overall result, and there is still plenty of room for experiment as I have kept things very plain and simple. They were made with the intention of being used as gift tags,  but they can be easily adapted for Christmas tree decorations….. watch this space!

I am now on the look out for small, very simple sentiment stamps for different themes, so,  if you see any please give me a heads up!

http://www.wholeport.com/item/bpl_1-1-6cm-eggplant-shape-ivory-pearl-1-piece.html

Marc’s Wedding Party Bags

Marc asked if I could help him out with a few wedding “party bags” using the Kraft paper lunch bags from Home Bargains (99p for 10) that I had sent him a while ago.  He said that the main colours he had used on the invitations and other wedding bits and pieces were primarily “Cadbury”  purple, silver mirror and kraft card, but he said …. really the world was my lobster, I could go any which way I liked  ….. he trusted me!!!!  Oh Marc!!!

I loved Marc’s colour combination, and it was indeed very fortuitous that I also knew that The Lovely Laura had yards of “Cadbury”purple ribbon left over from making all her wedding flowers …. so tying and positioning the bow was the first step of putting the bags together.

The panel came next  ….. using lots of layers!  I used the 4 1/8 die from my Nestabilities Eyelets Square set (S4-305) as the base, after finding as near perfect a match of purple card to the ribbon as I could. I layered the two purple squares on silver mirror card and then came the hardest bit ….. trying to centre and balance my “fiddlefart” writing in the centre square,  free hand!! It took four attempts before I was happy, but now it’s done,  it will be easy for me to follow it by eye for the rest of the bags.

And then ..... when all twenty bags are done,  I will have the perfect excuse to deliver them to Marc, in person, for a spot of London Lounging and a few very cheeky pints of vodka and coke!!!!! 

Simple and Cheap Shabby Chic/Vintage Style Party Bags

A friend is having a shabby chic/vintage style christening party and had asked me for a cheap, quick and simple party bag idea that would go with the theme.

I immediately thought of candy stripe sweet bags and when we looked on e-bay we found a pack of 100 measuring 5ins x 7ins straight away,  costing just £1.89, they were in her shopping cart in a flash,  it was a no brainer.

When they arrived and I got my mits on them I simply folded over the top by approx. 2ins …..

….. punched two holes through all the layers …

….. and then threaded a 1cm wide ribbon through, tying a chocolate box bow, voila!!!!!

My first versions were very basic …. so I decided to fine tune them a tiny bit more by using pinking shears to cut along the bag top and then adding a wooden embellishment to the ribbon ….. simples!

Sour Cream Container – Party Bags

This idea follows my recent acquisition of 100 paper candy striped, sweet bags from e-bay (7ins x 5ins), it’s an idea I have used a few times over the years, but not using a “ready made” bag.

I trimmed about an 1 – 1.5ins from the top of the bag, only to make the finished carton smaller, I could have used the bag as it was.

Then, to make the jubbly carton type shape I squeezed the sides of the bag together ….

……. at this point you would fill the carton/bag with sweets etc. and then stick the edges together to seal the carton/bag, I just used a few dabs of pva glue…..

…. and when dry I just added a bow …. done and dusted and very simples!

Awwww, Our Last Wedding Craft Club Session Before The Big Day ….. And, The Appearance Of A Guest Crafter!!!

Last Thursday saw our last “Wedding Craft Club” session … awwww, it has just been so much fun, although some of us will be grateful not to see a punched flower or tiny flat backed gem for a while!
It is impossible to begin to express how brilliant it has all been for the “key” ladies of both families ….. Denise (the Lovely Laura’s Mum – Glowing Mother of The Bride), Sarah, the Duke’s Sister, who in the past year has been just too WONDERFUL for words in her help and support,  not only of Lucy and me, but to the Duke’s Dad and younger brother Iain, she really has been fantastic …..
…….. plus, Emily and Daisy, her daughters and my nieces, my Lucy and finally me,  (proud Mother of the Groom), to get together each week to form a strong friendship, with much laughter and salacious gossip, to make the lovely things that we hope will help towards making a truly magical day for the “betrothed couple”, Tom and Laura.

This week we had to finish the boxes to put the wedding bracelets in for all the ladies, which proved to be unbelievably fiddly, completely contradicting my …. “Ooooo they won’t take five minutes!” claim!

…. And then,  finally put together the cheese boxes (cut on my Silhouette) for all the rainbow mice The Equally Lovely Denise crocheted for the gentlemen.

The “unexpected need for and the subsequent appearance” of which lays squarely (or triangularly!),  at the feet of Mr Ken Veasey (Father of the Bride), who,  when he heard that the ladies were having a box for their gift,  declared that the gentlemen ought to have one too!!!!  …… But more of the aforementioned Ken Veasey anon!!!!!! 

Lucy and Emily volunteered for the “cheese hole” drawing amidst much giggling,  with them declaring that there was a “sinister” cheese hole face secreted amongst all other cheese holes on each box …… while Denise, Sarah and I put them together, which was a doddle compared to the ladies boxes!

And Mr. Veasey ? Well … today he has made it as my Guest Crafter,  after Denise was sent home with an empty pile of cheese boxes to fill ……after all, it was his idea …..

….. and it has to be said, he fulfilled his brief with great aplomb, finesse and a certain artistic style!

Happy Days!!!!!