Feeling Very Despondant ...... But Not Totally Out!

What can I say, where do I start?  …..... As you can see, I've “lost” all my pictures (on both blogs) from as far back as I dare to look and to make matters worse, I'd also lost all the pictures in posts that were already scheduled for the next week or so, I'm utterly bereft …… years and years of work gone, without a clue as to how to put it right and let’s be honest, you can't have a craft blog without pictures!

AGHHHHHHHH ……………. and that’s putting it mildly! 

What do I do? Accept this huge lost (hoping that I can find a possible solution in the near future) ......

 …… and then try to start afresh with a brand new blog, because I just can't bear to see old FiddleFart with all of her pictures missing. 

So, on January 29th I plan to start afresh with "What A Load Of Old Fiddle Fart", until then I'll leave you with three scheduled posts that I was able to salvage, tomorow (16th January) and then Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd January.

This has done little for my mojo as you can imagine, let's see how things go, but if I encounter any more problems of this nature again I know I just won't have the technical knowledge, will or energy to find the time to repeat the exercise and sadly that would be it!

On with the new ........ 

https://whataloadofoldfiddlefart.blogspot.com/

Heads Up To Poundland …… Easter Rabbits

Easter seems to be a long way away, but the rabbits in this picture posted on the Poundland Appreciation Page on Facebook piqued my interest …..

I am really hoping they are made either of wood or some sort of ceramic, as  they could possibly have a lot of potential to be changed round completely with paint, collage, moulds etc. however, on looking at the picture more closely I suspect they may be fabric, but perhaps that could also be painted or patched? I need to see them in real life first, before I consider making a purchase.

Rejigged Mirror

This mirror re-jig was a bit of an experiment as it’s been replaced in the hall by my insect mirror.  I think it’s an original 1970’s wall mirror that cost me about £4 a few years ago, so it owes me nothing. I simply resprayed it as the paintwork was in a sorry state when I bought it.

I’d watched how you could use Iron Orchid transfers on glass with Marc back in the summer and when I saw rolls of  adhesive window stickers on Temu for just £1.78 I thought it might be worth a play, although I knew the results would not be as stunning.

The roll, when it arrived, measured 23.6ins wide by 11.8ins, so more than enough to go along the bottom of the mirror.

I simply fussy cut along the top of the design and carefully placed it on the mirror, using a craft stick to get rid of any bubbles or creases, which was surprisingly easy. 

However, as I suspected, unlike the Iron Orchid transfers, the design was not completely transparent, you could see, everso slightly, where the design ended and the unadorned mirror began.

But, undeterred I decided to cut out a few butterflies and a bee to help fill in some of the space above the design.

This was so easy, but if I were to repeat the exercise, I think I would cut even closer to the edge.

It looked pretty OK on the wall, but you know me, I just had to fiddle fart some more. I then sprayed painted some small cabochon flowers the same colour as the mirror ………

…… and stuck them using E6000, in the middle of the four flowers and at strategic points around the frame.

I think it worked.

The sticker sheets definitely have potential.  If I had wanted to put the mirror on the wall horizontally, I could have easily completely covered the whole of the mirror to give it a frosted effect, but perhaps the contrast works just as well. It might also work by applying the design to the glass, over a simple framed landscape ……….  or even ….. round a plain, square/rectangular vase ……… and what about a plain white box, tiles, coasters even, Hmmmmm, plenty of ideas to play with now I think about it, happy days!

Diamond Angels

Before Christmas I had a mahoooosive sort out of my craft cupboards and drawers, because I found that having so much “stuff” that I knew I probably wouldn’t  use, really weighed me down, so I donated a lot to school and with the burden lifted, I didn’t give it much of a second thought, but then ……. one of the staff called me over to say she’d got something to show me ……..

OMG!  The angels I would have done something really boring with (Hobbycraft stock Christmas 2023) were being transformed with the jewels I’d also sent in!  I tell you what, I almost wanted them all back, this was such a game changing idea!  Large 3D diamond dots? 

They were being made, before school, by children who find coming into school difficult, the teacher said that they became so absorbed in what they were doing that they were able to put their anxiety on hold, while their sense of achievement soared knowing they were making something really beautiful.

I am hoping I get a chance to photograph them again, once they are all completed.

I tell you what, if I see any of these paper mache angels again, I will have to buy just a couple, because really need to make a few for myself, they are inspired!

Upcycled, Faux Ceramic Mirror

I’ve had this mirror in my shower room for a few years now, but it wasn’t really doing anything for me, it was dull, uninspiring and just plain boring!

I think it may have been originally gold in colour before I bought it, but it was tarnished and I’d already spray painted it silver …… but it still didn’t really work where I’d put it, soooooooooo ………

I took it apart ……..

…….. painted it white and then roughly patched it, leaving white gaps, with part of a sheet of the decopatch paper below, (Ref C6290 – blue and white floral ceramic pattern paper) using Matt Modge Podge to glue it down.

It didn’t take that long.  I wanted it to look like a broken blue and white patterned plate cobbled together again to make something new, if that makes sense?

Then followed about 7/8 coats, perhaps more, using Wickes quick drying, clear, glossy varnish, in place of my beloved Wilko varnish ……….

………I’d say the results were as good as Wilkos.

I am really, really pleased with how it’s turned out ……..it was tempting to add a cabouchon flower or two or a few scattered pearls, but I resisted, telling myself, less is more.

However, I do wonder how a little crackle glaze might look?

Making Memories And Random Acts Of Christmas Kindness …

The run up to Christmas, as to be expected, was hectic and busy and in the end I just ran out of time to post everything, so before I launch into my 2024 crafting posts, I thought I’d go back a week or so to the things I did with Iris and Bertie on the way home from school, before school broke up …….

At the very the start of December we again decorated one of the bare trees on the school drive  …….

…… using a few peg decorations I made back in 2022, plus others from last year and then a few more gathered this year from the 10 for £1 baskets in the local charity shops.

Hopefully, memories were made for Iris and Bertie to take into their futures and share, who knows, with their own children and maybe even grandchildren.

Then, in the weeks leading up to the end of term, they dropped off various Christmas tranklements that I’d made and had leftover over the years to randomly drop off on peoples doorsteps along the way.

They both made me really smile as they tried to dodge being caught on the various ring doorbells looking like characters out of a Mission Impossible film, bless them!

And then, on the last day, I realised that this was indeed a memory to save and cherish, as it will be probably be the last time we will do it again at Christmas, because in September Iris will be moving up to “big school”, when school run duties could be quite different, me not being able to collect two children at the same time and no doubt Iris will want to be a more independent and grown up.   

I know they have to grow up, but I’m not sure I’m quite ready yet …… so I am going to ensure that all the school runs from January, right to the end of July are as happy and magical as I can, every second  with these two, as they continue to grow, is sooooooooooo precious, I can’t afford to waste any of it.

A Very Happy Christmas And New Year ..........

With a week to go .......  may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas & 2024.

I'm taking a week off or so, to just sit back and relax but will be back on Monday 1st Januray 2024, with, hopefully, some new ideas for 2024. The past six months or so have been an up hill struggle to keep things going, as I've just had no mojo or inspirartion, I have just about managed to cobble a few ideas together to limp to the end of the year.

That being said, at the beginning of November I started to give my craft room a really good sorting out, it's taken till now, on and off to do. A lot of stuff went to a local Guide Group, school and various local charity shops and to be honest I think there's still a lot more that could go, however I'm holding back for now, but then, what hasn't been looked at or touched by November 2024 will probably go the same way.

Temu may turn out to be my 2024 crafting saviour though, because in the run up to Christmas, I spent far too much time watching crafty haul videos on YouTube and then, of course, out came my phone ........ that's the reason why I am starting 2024 without said app, it's just too tempting.  I now need to get cracking using all the things that were delivered in Temu's distinctive grey bags with the orange logo, before I do anything else, no matter what I see in the shops in the January sales etc. If I didn't buy something when I first saw it, then I certainly don't need it now. 

It's a lesson learned, I went mad in the aisles in The Works and Hobbycraft in the January 2023 sales, but have I done anything with most of it yet? Have I heck as like! However, in this current very positive frame of mind they and all the Temu stuff WILL be used first, even if I do end up posting Christmas in January ....... otherwise, I'll have just thrown my money away!

See you on the other side ………..

School Christmas Cards

As promised, today I present the end results of the Christmas cards I made with one of the Year 2 classes (6 – 7 years old) that  I listen to read on a Thursday ……..

…….. needless to say, they all hit it right out of the park ………

…….. and beyond!

I think they all really enjoyed being able to choose their own component backgrounds, noses, hats and eyes ………..

…… which already made them quite individual, but when they added their own unique doodled ears and antlers the reindeer’s personalities came through  ……

……. and then, one little one went off piste and added a mouth, which I hadn’t originally done on the example, which I now regret, because the mouth really did make them! However, once the others saw what she had done, the trend followed suite and I daresay a few more will be added to those without when they all write and stick in the inserts.

I love them all.  It was a joy to do, but made me realise how out of practise I am working with a group of little ones, I was mentally and physically exhausted by the time I got home!