maximum RABBIT designs

lot's of matryoshka pincushions

2012-01-26T11:13:00.004Z

i think these are going to be my big seller in

2012

this was the first pincushion i made this year

because i have shops on Etsy and on Folksy

i often list the same item in both shops

this time it backfired and i sold the item twice!

So i had to make this one to order

and fast as it was to be a birthday gift :)

whilst i had all the gear out i decided

to make a few new dolly pincushions

i have such a collection of russian dolls

that it's hard to choose who gets an upgrade!

i tried out some different doll styles this time

i love this happy polka dot lady :)

and here's a little one

great for sewing on the go

i have one like this but even smaller

great for a holiday project

available in my Etsy shop

http://www.etsy.com/listing/91206082/mini-matryoshka-pincushion

this is my favourite of the new dollies

very vibrant colours - i'm guessing she is from the 60's or 70's

loving the orange!

i made her pincushion with a vintage orange floral pillowcase fabric

very funky!

"we all carry scars from our pasts"

i love the little scars the vintage dolls have

i think it adds to their charm

I was lucky enough to get the last photo featured

in the Craftzine blog

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2012/01/craft_flickr_pool_weekly_round_168.html

and she sold already

and is on her way to her new home

in europe :)

Crafting in 2011

2012-01-09T19:33:00.007Z

*crafting in 2011*

it was a funny old year for me craftwise

i just really lost my way

and had little enthusiasm for making things

i really loved this bag i made as part of the Tim Burton swap

i really struggled to get going on this swap

but in the end i loved what i made

i still have no idea if the recipient liked what i sent

at last contact, before the american summer break

the parcel had arrived but had not been opened

i am still yet to receive my swap parcel . . . . .

i made these for the Crafter...oo button swap

i must make some more . . . .

nom nom nom :)

i had a spark of inspiration in September

when i made a handful of these pendants

and finally in November my crafty sparkle came back

just in time for the festive season!

which led to me making kitschy wreathes and baubles covered in glitter!

in 2012 i'm hoping to carry on with the dolly dress making

that i started in 2011

i find the handstitching very relaxing and something i can pick up

whilst the kids are happy playing and put down quickly when all hell breaks loose!!!

hope all my readers have a very happy and crafty 2012

x x xxx x x

vintage map pendant tutorial.

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000Z

: vintage map pendant tutorial :

materials:

one memory frame

http://www.craftydevilspapercraft.co.uk/crafts/5168-inkessentials-memory-frames-1-1234-x-1-1234.asp kessential s-memory-frames-1-1234-x-1-1234.asp

a pair of glass inserts
http://www.craftydevilspapercraft.co.uk/crafts/1684-inkssentials-memory-glass.asp 684-inkssentials-memory-glass.asp

dry transfer lettering
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rubdown-Lettering-A5-Helvetica-Black/dp/B0027J3TPU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1315598975&sr=8-13 down-Lettering-A5-Helv eti ca-Black/dp/B0027J3TPU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1315598975&sr=8-1 3

vintage map - the map i used was a vintage cloth backed map, if using plain paper
you may need to reinforce the paper before stitching on it.

vintage lace - if using modern lace you could age it by tea dying it.

needle and thread

instructions:

step one: using one of the glass slides as a guide choose
an interesting section of map and cut out using a sharp knife.

step two: choose some lace and sew to map section - i used a ruby red cotton
and added cross-stitches to the inside edge.

step three: using dry transfer lettering add a message

{excuse the rubbish photo - it was night time!}

step four: i then added a stitched heart

step five: sandwich collage between glass slides and insert into frame

step six: choose lace,ribbon,cord or chain for your pendant
or alternatively attach a ribbon and pin to wear it like a medal.

optional step:
i really liked seeing the back of the stitching so i didn't hide this part but you could cover the back of your work or add an extra message.

notes: make sure your collage is not getting too thick - it needs to fit between the glass sides and into the memory frame!

*******

This tutorial was previously published in

Issue One of the Crafter...oo Magazine

it is still available to buy here

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php

as is the new and exciting Issue Two for just £1.50

the start of something . . . .

2012-01-04T11:59:00.005Z

My Mum gave me this antique lace a few weeks ago as she has had it for years

and never used it - it's so pretty and as it isn't from my personal lace stash

i'm going to use it before i get attached to it!

this year i'm going to try and reduce my massive stash of buttons/lace and vintage fabrics.

i decided that i'd use the lace to make a victorian style dress for my Blythe doll Idris

and as my sewing machine is out of action i'm going to be doing this totally by hand

the base fabric is an old pillowcase that belonged to my Aunty Thelma,

she was a terrible hoarder - not that i'm in any position to pass comment!

vintage ingredients:
i cannot seem to use vintage lace without a splash of red sylko thread!
i think this will get used on the wheel design on the lace.

trying it on for size

not sure how long i'll make the skirt

or even how i'll make the waistband yet

trial and error this time and hopefully i'll learn as i go!

Idris is hoping there will be a top to this dress

it's a bit cold to go topless!

just found this photo booth treatment on big huge labs

cool eh?

think i'll be using it a lot!!

HaPpY NeW yEaR

eVeRyOnE

i'm hoping for a creative

2o12

hope you all have one too x

Crafter...oo Magazine Issue 2

2011-12-30T23:17:00.002Z

out now!

go get it!

click on link below

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php/board,103.0.html

some great projects and features in this issue

i have to say my favourite is the

vintage spool ipod headphone tidy

i need one!

Well done to Kerry and all the contributors :)

Bauble Dioramas

2011-12-18T00:50:00.005Z

you will need a two part clear plastic bauble

gather up your supplies

i have used a two part bauble

self adhesive paper lace

and gold paint marker

Anita's tacky glue

lots of glitter

and

you will need some small cute items to go in your bauble

first paint the inside of one half of a bauble with pva glue

then cover with glitter!

shake of the excess and return to pot

try not to spill it everywhere like me :)

leave to dry
shake of excess glitter

next do the outside
again leave to dry

now you can try out some of your cute little decorations

i loved the little fawn but thought it would look better

in a snowy glittery scene

i had taken this irridescent fluff out of a glass bauble i'd used as a mini terrarium

and the baby russian doll was an orphan

she looked just right on her snow!

i glued in the "snow"
left it to dry

then added the tiny doll

i wedged her in with the rubber till the glue had dried
whilst i waited, i coloured some white paper lace gold with the paint pen

once dry i added the gold paper lace to the bauble

cute eh?

lastly i added a black ribbon bow to the top

***

here's my first diorama
we have had some very wild weather lately

so i've been finding lots of twigs and lichen blown down whilst out on my walks with Max

having made mini bauble terrariums with some of the lichen

the rest had dried out, so i have used some of the twigs on wreaths{photo's soon}

and had this little bit left that fitted perfectly in the bauble

i used very fine white glitter on the inside of this bauble

and a courser irridescent white glitter on the outside

very frosty!

i love these tiny birds but i'm running out :(

***

i've had great fun making these baubles

and i'm now keeping my eyes peeled for tiny things to go inside them

i found some fantastic little people and animals in the model train shop

and cute bottle brush trees in the cake decorating section at the cook shop.

i think i'll use that little fawn next :)

A new face & a new friend

2011-12-17T13:52:00.003Z

Last friday, feeling rather nervous

me, Idris and the Man jumped in the van and travelled 9 miles to get Idris a spray matt treatment and to meet an internet friend for the first time at her house

Robin {ex owner of My Little Customs} had very kindly offered to spray my dolls face for me as i'm too scared to sand the gloss off or customise her in anyway to be honest!

I'm still slightly in shock that i bought myself a Blythe doll and even though she was a very fair price from another internetty friends i'm just terrified of undoing her head and breaking her or cutting her beautiful hair and it looking like my daughters did when she was three and i decided to trim her fringe!!!!

Anyway it turns out there was no reason to be nervous

Robin is lovely and just like she is online but better!

We stayed for a cup of tea, met her gorgeous dog and got used as a climbing wall by her teeny weeny crazy kitten!

We talked and talked and i got to see someone else's dolls in REAL LIFE i now need a blythe with mohair hair!

We left Idris with Robin whilst we went into town to shop as she needed more coats of spray and when i collected her later she was dressed in this sweet little dress (which i'd seen similar to online and been lusting after) and sweet cardigan {not shown}

how lucky am i ?!

Idris looks so much better with her matt face and lip gloss
i'm hoping to get some lovely photo's of her now the dreaded shine has gone
thanks again to the lovely Robin x

oh

when i got home my daughter {17} gave me a lecture about meeting strangers from the internet in their homes
"For gods sake she could've been anyone Mum - she could've been a paedophile!"
well yeah but i'm 41 and i didn't go alone
but thanks for caring daughter dear!!!

Pootling about . . . . . . .

2011-12-12T00:43:00.004Z

last week i was mostly pootling about

buying things on ebay

like these grumpy little gnomes

they have holes in their heads maybe this is why they're so grumpy?

perhaps destined to become pincushions

making toadstools from vintage darning mushrooms

tu-tu's for teeny dollies

and knickers for dolls!

oh and facepainting at a school fair for four hours straight

my back is still suffering :(

but we raised loads of money :)

what have you all been up to?

A Kitschy Christmas

2011-11-30T00:56:00.002Z

the big kitschy wreath

and the small kitschy wreath

I have loved making these and i'm desperate to display them

but
I WILL WAIT

keep Christmas in December people!

OUT NOW Crafter...oo magazine

2011-10-01T00:57:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited to tell you all about this fantastic new magazine

it is the brain child of Kerry aka pennydog
and she has worked so hard on this
It has seventeen craft projects by regular members of crafter...oo our friendly craft forum, business advice and more all for the very reasonable price of £1.50 an absolute bargain!

click the link below to try before you buy

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php/t opic,8765.0.ht ml

I have a tutorial for this vintage map pendant in the magazine

and i have decided to give the pendant away
to a subscriber to the magazine
a winner will be drawn at random

click the link below to buy it now

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,8757.0.html

so exciting :)

Doctor Who Finale

2011-09-30T11:01:00.006+01:00

The Wedding of River Song

Oh my goodness this last episode had better be good!
I'm so excited about watching it tomorrow :D
I really love River Song i think she is my favourite character and
Matt Smith is my favourite Doctor - i never thought i would say that!
Like so many others i just couldn't imagine anyone being as good as David Tennant
but i love the way Matt Smith plays him.

here's the prequel to tomorrow's episode

a word out of place

2011-09-19T17:24:00.004+01:00

my newest map pendant
i told you i was addicted!

oops!
i got that a bit wrong!
good job this wasn't a soldered pendant . . .

amazing what you can do with magic tape
totally removes your error
without any damage

all fixed

i've been singing Amazing Grace to myself all day :)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82103596/i-once-was-lost-vintage-map-pendant

YOU are my world

2011-09-18T13:53:00.003+01:00

i'm a bit obsessed with making these pendants right now!
i'm finding it very relaxing
and the style is very me but a few years back
i was obsessed with the rub-down letters when i worked in the craft shop,
i bought sheet upon sheet of them so it's good to be using them again!

front-side

flip-side
{i love seeing the back of the stitching}

i still didn't decide what to hang them on
but they look really nice on a length of lace

this one is available in my Etsy shop right now

http://www.etsy.com/lis ting/818477 45/you-are-my-world-vintage-map-pendant?ref=pr_shop

i will definately be making more
because i love them!

map pendant

2011-09-06T20:58:00.002+01:00

wow i actually made something today

i started it ages ago
and it just kinda sat there on my desk
so today i pulled it together with a few stitches

i'm not sure it's finished
so it'll probably hang around a bit longer
but it's a start eh?

i like it
but
i think it "needs" something
what do you think?

dusty old things

2011-08-28T14:35:00.009+01:00

We had a dusty old things day yesterday

we took the kids to a very dusty collection of war time memorabillia

http://www.cobbatoncombat.co.uk/

now this is a really a cautionary tale

all this amazing stuff and there really is an unbelievable ammount of it
is one man's collection gotten big time out of control

my daughter had been {much to her disgust} as a school trip when she was younger and to her suprise had absolutely loved it and has been nagging us to go again for years - the boy is very into weapons and fascinated by the World Wars so we thought it would be a good trip out

he loved it and was realy interested in it all and as my daughter has recently
learnt about the wars in history she could tell him lots about what he was seeing

here they are trying out an air raid shelter!
they have a huge ammount of tanks and interesting vehicles
and in the past you were allowed to climb up onto them
but unfortunately and obviously much to the owners annoyance
health and safety now forbids this :(

It was unbelievably dusty there and could've done with a damn good spruce up
with a giant feather duster and an industrial spray can of Mr.Sheen,
i'm definately not a fussy clean freak but it pushed even my boundries.

*******

On our way home from our annual Dawlish holiday last week we stopped off
at this fantastic antique/junk shop
i saw this amazingly steampunktastic
blow torch

how extremely cool is this?

i especially liked this dial/gauge thing

and this little twisty handle thing!

but i didn't buy it!

I kept thinking about it
annoyed with myself for being sensible and not buying it
so we went again on our way home from the war collection

and

i didn't buy it again!!!

There were so many cool and dusty and rusty old things there that i ended up
buying nothing again!!!
Me and my daughter did spend a couple quid on some bits of old jewellery
but nothing really special.

this was cool, i guess it was a predecessor to a photo copy machine?

my son loved all the old cameras
there was a big box full of them
and a massive old victorian one

collections of old bottles
all dusty and bedecked with cobwebs

rows of old clocks

but by far the most interesting thing to us
and old wooden tray

containing a poor little bird skeleton

all in all a very interesting day
full of dusty old things!!!

Bideford Heritage Day

2011-07-31T10:24:00.004+01:00

I completely forgot to blog about this!
My town had another Heritage Day
this time celebrating our Elizabethan heritage.

My son made a ruff with this lady
and proudly wore it for the rest of the day!
I love that he still loves dressing up,
as a toddler he was always dressed up as something/someone, most often spiderman
and as he's got older he has got more creative in his choices .

we found out about lots of different aspects of Elizabethan life
we played the first ever patented board game and other games
we learned about what and how they cooked
and of course what they wore

both my children tried on the outfits
The boy was a bit shocked to hear that boys around his age still wore dresses!

look at this face of determination!
There was a lovely lady who showed us how to prepare the wool for spinning
and let him have a go at carding and then producing a yarn by hand he loved it!
She also showed us the different plants used to dye fabrics
and my favorite, buttons of the period!
There was also lots of ladies spinning wool which sparked my daughter's interest
as she has kept my Grandma's old spinning wheel
maybe one day she will learn how to use it.

It was a lovely way to spend a few hours with my children and it is so nice that they are both so interested in history and of course the heritage of our home town.
Bideford has a really interesting history which i've only really come to appreiciate as i've gotten older, it is the same way with my own family history, my Mum was always really interested and has done a lot of work tracing our family tree as did my Dad's Mum, i was never interested at all and pretty rude saying "who care's that's boring" but now i find it all fascinating!

button peppermint creams

2011-07-20T18:50:00.004+01:00

i have been asked for a recipe for these peppermint cream buttons

to be honest it was so simple
i don't think you could count it as a recipe!

I bought a box of royal icing sugar mixed it with a little
pre-boiled warm water and some peppermint essence
to make a stiff paste {if the paste is too wet add more sugar}

then i tried it and added more
peppermint essence to my taste,

then I seperated the paste into three bowls
and mixed in some food colourings,
then i rolled out the paste and cut out the buttons
with pop {soda} bottle tops i made the button holes
with a cotton wool bud {q-tip} with the cotton ends cut off,

then i left them to dry out in a tupperware container
turning regularly till they were dried out.

then i ate far too many of them!!!

and sent some to Kat :)

there are loads of recipes on the web for peppermint creams
but this one was so easy i didn't bother trying any of the others!

crafter...oo button swap

2011-07-18T17:46:00.006+01:00

the crafter...oo button swap

i was lucky enough to be partnered with the lovely Kat
of domestic-housekat-blog

http://domestic-housekat.blogspot.com/

here is what she sent me - a fancy jewellery roll

containing rather fancy jewellery style buttons and buckles

plus a cute rabbit made from perler beads :)

oh . . . erm . . . and these rather scrummy chocolates, which i hid away in my craft room
and didn't share a single one with my family!

*******
below is what i sent {very late} to Kat

a selection of british hand-made buttons

a. beautiful dorset button from bigbluebed http://www.etsy.com/shop/bigbluebed
b. recycled vintage embroidered linen by me
c. cute designer buttons from shedraws http://www.folksy.com/shop/SheDraws
d. fantastic fimo loveheart buttons from Lilley's buttons http://www.folksy.com/shops/lilley

it was hard to give these away
but hey what a good excuse to buy more!

a selection of buttons from my button mountain

and my favourite thing i made

homemade peppermint cream buttons

they do look a bit like play-doh
but they tasted good
honest!

all wrapped up in a Habitat button pot.

It was a really fun swap and i'm glad Kat was patient with me i was sooo late sending it as things have been a little crazy round here - we got a new puppy :) i picked him up the day before my Ofsted inspection and i'd been running around like a blue arsed fly trying to get my paperwork in order but i got a really good report so was very very happy :D

Tess the Wonderdog

2011-06-26T00:25:00.005+01:00

Our beautiful dog Tess

beach lover

teletubby killer

intrepid explorer

lawn wrecking :)

sun loving

crafting companion

stinky muddy stream swimmer

crazy sand artist

nosey

sweetest ever family dog
has gone to run free from suffering in the big field in the sky.

R.I.P.
Tess the Wonderdog
our faithful friend
xxx

party dress for dolly!

2011-06-05T21:15:00.004+01:00

ok so please excuse the awful photo quality
try as i might i just cannot get a decent photograph of my Blythe :(

but
i have finally made her a dress!
i made a tri-colour tu-tu using this cut out and keep tutorial
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/no_sew_tutu_2
obviously some what scaled down :D

i made the bodice section with a piece of vintage sequined trim
i'm pretty pleased with it, very simple
but at least she is now wearing something i made her
which was the whole point of buying a doll.

oh and i have decided on a name for my doll
i am going to call her Idris after the human woman
who the soul of the TARDIS is poured into
in the Neil Gaiman episode of Doctor Who
when i first got her i was going to call her TARDIS
because of her amazing blue hair
but it just didn't seem right.

perhaps my mojo is returning
:O

Tim Burton inspired craft swap

2011-05-24T10:00:00.006+01:00

So i can finally show you what i made for the
Tim Burton Inspired Craft Swap
organised by the fantastic
Meridian Ariel
my partner has let me know that her parcel made it to America
BUT she is not going to open it intil she has sent my parcel
i can wait no longer to blog about it so have warned her off my blog :)

everything to be squeezed into a shoe box!

some crafty treats

a pumpkin softie or pin cushion
i made it with a vintage linen napkin - a recycled t-shirt - a vintage duffle coat toggle
and a big m.o.p. button

i found this swap really hard
which really surprised me as i love Tim Burton films
but i just couldn't get the creative juices flowing

collections of supplies lay around the work table
failing to inspire me

i had decided early on i was going to decorate a tote bag
i used this one which i'd previously dyed in burlesque red
my swap partners colour choices were i'm afraid ignored
as burlesque red - orange and teal seemed to force themselves onto this project!
i'd never of thought of using these colours together normally
but they just seemed right.

i used a band of vintage cotton lace aound the top of the bag
made several suffolk puffs from a vintage pillowcase
i'd recently inherited from my great Aunt

and selected some vintage doilies and teal buttons
made a teal zipper rossette
and pinned them to the bag
at this point i wandered off for several weeks
occasionally re-arranging the different elements

my swap partners favourite Tim Burton character is Sally
from the Nightmare before Christmas
i had a patchwork theme in my mind and visible stitches
but i've not yet attempted patchwork {scared}
so i felt these different textures and colours
could represent Sally's dress

and the embroidery the stitches Sally uses to sew her body parts back to together
the words are from the song she sings about her love for Jack Skellington

it always amazes me how many things i make for a swap
that never make into the final selection
does anyone else do that?
these spiders seemed a good idea but didn't quite work out!

so there you have it
everything i made i have made this year
i can't understand what has happened to my creativity
this time last year my blog hits were through the roof
i was prolific in my crafting
i need my mojo back
if you see it please send it home.

Button Swap

2011-05-17T21:31:00.004+01:00

Kitty Ballistic has set up a button swap over on the crafter...oo forum
swap entries close at the end of the week so HURRY !!!

http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=8300.0

lots of good people already signed up
a nice cheap'n'easy swap
go on - go on - g'wan
:D

and if you've learned anything on my blog
it is surely that i have a HUGE button surplus!
more button swaps i say!

omg Doctor Who AND Neil Gaiman . . . . . swoon.

2011-05-09T11:36:00.005+01:00

Two of my favourite things in one place
an episode of Doctor Who written by Neil Gaiman
omg
plus from the clips it also looks steampunky
yay!

i'm so looking forward to this episode
hopefully it'll make up for last weeks
ok but nothing special episode

i know it's only Monday but woo-hoo roll on Saturday!!!!

oh and it's got Ood's!

Rule Britannia

2011-04-30T01:02:00.003+01:00

what a lovely day we had
watching the wedding on tv
admiring the lovely choice of wedding dress
checking out the days fashion statements
wondering what the hell Princess Beatrice had on her head
and how Victioria Beckham can walk in those shoes :O
i thought it was a great show
especially loved all the military uniforms
and the carriages
and the day off
:)

did you watch it?
what did you think?

Easter fun!!!

2011-04-26T13:26:00.006+01:00

sorry i've not been blogging lately
we've been too busy having fun in the easter holiday sunshine!!!
It has been so beautiful here in Devon
sun, sun and more sun!

we watched James May's second attempt to run his train from Barnstaple to Bideford
we went to the paddling pool at the park
we went for nature hunts
had icecream on the beach
we walked the coastal path
we hunted pond creatures and found them :)

we watched the long awaited Doctor Who
oh my god
we loved it - did you?

but my brain hurts now trying to work it all out!!!
so i may just have to watch it again
care to join me?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010tb7q

and then there was Easter!!!
lots of chocolate, a birthday party and lots of cups of tea with my cousins :)

a less chocolatey option!

my daughter bought me the sweetest little marzipan bunny
it seemed a shame to eat it
but
i did!!!

hope you all had a wonderful break too xxx

dark days

2011-04-04T11:40:00.005+01:00

credits

http://pinterest.com/pin/10718293/

http://pinterest.com/pin/10927523/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ymonster/4496252754/in/photostream/

http://pinterest.com/pin/11667505/

it's official - i'm a mad doll lady!

2011-03-15T21:55:00.004Z

the dolls in dolly corner are looking nervous eh?
or perhaps expectant . . . . .

Do you remember this perfect Patch doll
that i picked up in the charity shop back in October?
Well i sold her on Ebay
for a HUGE profit

anyway i've being looking at Blythe dolls for ages and AGES
and
now i own one of my very own!

i was expecting her to arrived nekkid
but she came with a selection of super cute dresses a stand and a hat
{thanks Katy}

she also came with a cheerleaders outfit
which my son {who was off school poorly} stole
and dressed up his boy Brat doll Dylan
:) :D :)

isn't she pretty?

here she is with Sindy and Pippa
yeah yeah i am a mad doll lady
:D

time flew by . . . . . .

2011-03-08T21:30:00.002Z

well i didn't mean to take a blogging break
but it appears i haven't posted for a month

hmmmm . . . . . .
i have been suffering with crafty paralysis
i've been making bits here and there
but nothing is gelling together
it's driving me quite a lot crazy

i've been trying to get my latest swap finished
i've had all the stuff made for awhile
once i'd decided what i was going to do
and that took a stupidly long time
but just can't get it how i want it
i think i have crafting OCD
i sure as hell don't have it in the housework department
only the very bare minimum day to day chores have been getting done

but the sun has been shining here now for days and days
it is still very cold and Jack Frost is still about
but the Guinea piggles have been mowing the lawn again
and washing has been drying on the line

i think it's really happening
i think Spring has sprung . . . . . .

a little lucky and a lot happy :)

2011-02-07T09:24:00.004Z

Normally February is a boring and depressing month for me,
bored of the grey skies and the cold and rain,
just getting desperate for spring to come
but
i got a lovely little boost to start the month :)

my cotton reel button stamp was featured
in this beautiful French magazine

there are loads of lovely things in it
{i'm on page 90}

http://www.mespetitesmainsmagazine.net/

*******

i also got lucky when i entered a few of my cross stitch designs
in a competition over at Cut Out + Keep
{if you don't know this site do check it out - it has hundreds of crafty tutorials}

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/

my "how to frame an embroidery in the hoop" tutorial
won me two Cath Kidston craft books
how exciting eh?
i'm looking forward to them arriving
and having a good read!

*******

now i just need to crack on with my Tim Burton Swap
someone give me a kick up the butt!

t-shirt hacking

2011-01-25T13:59:00.005Z

take an old t-shirt
this is one of Molly's
it's a size 8

cut straight across under the arms

put top to one side for later

cut of bottom hem
you don't have to do this
but i like the way t-shirt fabric rolls up

ta-da
easy scarf/tube/snood
{feel free to ignore my miserable face}
you can put a couple stitches on the cut hems
i'm not gonna bother

now cut the arms off!

try it on and mark your thumbhole
cut small slit

ta-da!

very long fingerless mittens

or long'n'slouchy fingerless mittens

a matching set
to keep you warm
fast and for free

time to pick the carcass
i've already made one set of these
and i made yo-yo's with the scraps
maybe to decorate the set
or maybe as hair things
or a corsage?
hmmmm. . . . .

i've also made this kind of tube scarf with an oversized mans t-shirt
i wear it wrapped around double - it's lovely and warm.

how fast they grow up!

2011-01-14T13:13:00.003Z

pin-cushion

one of my new years resolutions was
to regularly stock my shops
i'd got a bit slack by the end of last year
so yesterday i had a photography and listing session

singed flower hair grips

singed and stacked fabric flower grips

you can find the hair flowers in my etsy shop

ETSY SHOP

i was very pleased to find the pin-cushion sold already :)
i'll be making more very soon

*******

in other news
the boy lost his first tooth yesterday
*sigh*
how fast they grow up

ready to put it under the pillow for the tooth fairy

gappy boy!

i think i need to make a little purse for teeth now
i have the design in my head
it will be cute!

Crafting in 2010

2011-01-05T22:15:00.003Z

So here's what i made in 2010
i'm going to try and be more focused on my crafts this year - well really i'm going to try and be more focused on everthing - i've spent way to many hours sitting here staring at my computor screen
*
*
*
*
yeah yeah i said that last year too
but i really REALLY mean it this time

*
*
*
honest.

Christmas

2011-01-02T18:11:00.006Z

this little wolf boy woke us up at 2.45am

he would not go back to sleep
i tried everything
i was good cop
i was bad cop
nothing worked

look at that face
can you beleive he was up so early?

we opened LOTS of presents
in front of a roaring fire
whilst the HUGE turkey cooked.
Then the family arrived
and we ate until we couldn't move!

then it was time to open MORE presents!

this was from my Uncle Geoffrey
it was his late Mother's button box

and full of treasures :)

and this massive haul of Russian dolls was from my Mum
some are singletons and some are families
the big set is HUGE!

this is my favourite set
my Mum was going to throw these out
because they are plastic!

there will be lots of new dolly pin-cushions soon!

just some photo's of my decorations :)

this light was from my Father-out-of-Law
we were very VERY naughty and opened it before Christmas
{we knew what it was - we choose it!}
but in our defence
it looked gorgeous with our decorations!

here's what i received in the crafter...oo christmas ornament swap
a chainmaille christmas tree - how cute is that eh?
plus after christmas the postman came with a lovely box of chocs from Hotel Chocolat
i felt very spoilt!
thanks Kats x

and to top off our day
my Aunt and Uncle called round
and we all watched the christmas episode of
DOCTOR WHO
i loved it
the 2.45am alarm clock boy was still awake
Katherine Jenkins' singing very nearly finished him off mind you!
what a long day
but a lovely one too

*******

it was such a long day that we completely forgot to walk the dog!
we made up for it the next day
with a lovely walk in the snow at the nature reserve
it looked so beautiful there

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas
and here's to a fantastic New Year.

i won a quilt!

2010-12-30T00:33:00.005Z

i got the most amazing parcel in the post today
awhile ago Katy from imagingermonkey
posted about a charity quilt raffle
http://imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/2010/11/modern-relief.htm l

it was $10 a go and i had a little in my paypal account
so i bought a chance to win a quilt
then i forgot about it
and one morning i woke up to a lovely email from Ashley
to say i'd won her quilt

how gorgeous is this eh?

i feel very very lucky
to own this quilt

the back's pretty damn good too!

and it looks great on my sofa
i'm looking forward to snuggling up under it to watch
sunday movies with my boy
:)

thanks so much Ashley
:)

check out Ashley's lovely blog here

http://www.filminthefridge.com/

mAd HaTteRs TeA ParTy

2010-12-19T12:16:00.005Z

My son desperately wanted a party at home this year,
i did try to put him off as i don't relish the prospect of a house full of hyper sugar fuelled five and six year olds running riot but then we watched Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland together and i thought what a great theme for a kids party,
the boy was not so keen saying it was a girls theme until i pointed out that most of the characters were boys and that it could be a mad hatters tea party rather than Alice in Wonderland - this did the trick!

"let the mad party begin"

i know i'm totally biased
but sometimes i look at my son
and just can't believe how handsome he is
even painted up as the white rabbit
he looks gorgeous!

the mad hatters tea spread

rainbow jelly wine glasses these tasted just like those fruit pastille ice lollys and were the idea of the Mad Hatter himself

the Mad Hatter!

my son made all the "eat me" signs

let the feast commence!!!

Donny Darko!!!

glow stick blue light disco fun!

i had so many ideas for this party
that in the end most of them didn't get done!
i'm like that at the moment
i'm spending too much time thinking and putting off
and nowhere near enough time
actually doing stuff
BUT
the kids all had a fun time
my son didn't have the normal birthday child meltdown which was a relief
and the grown-ups got through it without having a nervous breakdown!
result!!!!

"the end"

Crafter...oo Christmas ornament swap

2010-12-17T20:53:00.005Z

This is what i made and sent to my partner Kats
in the christmas ornament swap @ crafter...oo
organized by kitty ballistic

i wasn't sure what to make and had
that terrible lost mojo feeling
i ran wildly over my deadline and was
worried the snow would not let it get
to it's recipient in time for christmas
but it did get there
and Kats liked it *phew*

it's not my normal style but i do really like it
especially the very un-christmassy colour scheme!

yo-yo & loom flower yarn nest

i'm finding it really hard to take photo's atm
as it's either dark and gloomy or bright bright sunshine!

2010-12-02T21:30:00.002Z

i'm sorry i've been totally neglecting my blog
my excuse is this site
http://pinterest.com/

i am totally and completely ADDICTED.
i found it by following a link i found on my sitemeter. . . .
here is my page

http://pinterest.com/vintageviolet/

it takes a little while to start as you have to join a waiting list
but i swear it's worth the wait!

basically it's like your own virtual pinboard/mood board/inspiration board
you can make lots of different boards and pin images you find on the net to them
or you can look through other peoples pins and re-pin them to your own boards

here's an example

"my wish list"

http://pinterest.com/vintageviolet/my-wish-list/

i think it's a great idea as i often see things i love ,want or that inspire me
on my online travels
now i can just add them to a board
and can go back and find them later

hope to see you all there soon xxx

the cutest little red riding hood

2010-11-24T20:35:00.004Z

ANN WOOD

I can't remember where i first saw
this ladies work but i love it!
I especially love the amazing owls she creates from vintage/antique fabrics and garments
they absolutely blow my mind!

whilst browsing flickr the other day
i found this adorable little set of photo's
It is a theatre production by a troupe of softy birds!

"little red riding hood"
the cautionary tale of a little bird in a red cloak and a bad wolf.

please go and see their play
it's sew cute
:D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/annwood/sets/72157625194705838/

if you like what you've seen in this post
you will definately like Ann's blog
it's full of beautiful and inspiring textile work

http://www.annwood.net/blog/

*******

so which designers inspire you?
please go ahead and share some links
in the comments sections
I have a hunger for inspiring textiles right now!

so sweet it makes my teeth ache!

2010-11-10T21:02:00.003Z

when i found this vintage pram rattle
i just knew it would become a wreath
unfortunately i'd used my last wreath form
for the halloween one!

so i had to put my project on hold
till i could get to the craft shop

i just wish i'd bought more of this matt pastel pink tinsel last year
but i've looked everywhere i can think of to no avail :'(

So as i didn't have enough to fully cover the wreath
i wrapped the wreath ring in yarn,
tinsel and then this funky pompom garland
and finished it off with the cutest baby blue fawns
except i'm not sure it's quite finished yet?

i'm thinking red'n'white candy canes . . . . . . .

but as it is now it could be christmas or babyshower
hmmmmm . . . . . . . . to be continued!

halloween fun!

2010-11-02T14:42:00.004Z

sPoOkY
hAlLoWeEn wReAtH

watch out

zombie knight's coming to get you

he wants to eat your brains

are cat brains as nice?

me and my scary kids!

hope you all had a hApPy hAlLoWeEn
:D

Halloween swap - what i sent

2010-10-19T10:45:00.000+01:00

so here is what i sent to MeridianAriel

Determined to squeeze everything into this box!!!

this is the first thing i made and to be honest i could've/wanted to do more to it but as usual i was working up to and ignoring my deadline!

portable spell set
"spells on the go - for today's busy witch"

i have to be honest here i wanted to keep this
so i'm on the look out for more of these
antique doll heads!
i needle-felted into her brain/neck cavity
>.<
to make a voodoo pin cushion!

: spell set contents :
voodoo headache inducer
6. captive snail on a bed of {needle-felted} moss for all your snail slime needs!

13. seeds of hate {or seeds of doubt}

3. captive spider in her web
{deadly keep secure in jar}

i borrowed a set of fantastic
metal/leather work stamps
to brand the leather labels and box
bang bang
Bang!!!

leather owl on a branch brooch

halloween haberdashery

~sweet treats~
coconut mushrooms
coffee fudge {Meri is a coffee ADDICT}
pontefract cakes
i loved doing this swap
:D

Meri is muttering about organising a Tim Burton/Neil Gaiman themed swap next i am soooooooo up for that!

keep your eyes peeled for more details on Meri's blog here

Halloween swap - received :D

2010-10-18T10:15:00.005+01:00

I love Halloween
i especially love Halloween crafting
so me & my friend Meridian Ariel
decided to do a private craft swap
check out her blog here

http://www.meridianariel.blogspot.com/

she makes fantastic primitive monster dolls
i've blogged about how much i love them before here

http://maximumrabbitdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/07/meridian-ariels-primitive-dolls.html

so i was very cheeky and asked for an imp!

*excited*

*happy*

barnabus's story

omg i'm scared now!
he's a button stealing imp!

ooh another parcel
love the button bat card!

lovely halloweeny coloured supplies!

a lovely bracelet of fire opal and black onyx

Barnabus in all his glory!

thank-you so much Apryl
i love every single bit of this swap
xxx

a couple sneaky spoilers of what i made for Apryl :D

(: Super secret trip to Cardiff :)

2010-10-11T13:26:00.009+01:00

leaving England

he still doesn't know why we are going to Wales!

Doctor Who exhibition Cardiff

a bit star struck!

clockwork droid

cyberman

"who turned out the lights"

Ood

Army Dalek & me and the boy!

Looking handsome :D

a shrine to Ianto Jones of Torchwood
which is a bit freaky
he didn't "really" die people!

i loved this gorgeous sculpture

Torchwood entrance/exit by night

My son is a complete Doctor Who nerd {which is good as i can pretend that's why i watch it all the time and know more Doctor Who facts than is really necessary} and i've wanted to take him up to see the Doctor Who exhibition in Cardiff for some time but when MeridianAriel and her family went recently i was really jealous which spurred me on!

We had a really great time :)
The boy was so happy when he realised why we had gone!
We stayed in a nice Hotel and really enjoyed the break,
it was also the first time i've left my daughter to fend for herself and the animals
so we were very relieved to return home
to the house just as we had left it!

I'm really enjoying my kids at these ages
my daughter just entering adulthood and deciding what she wants to do with her life
and my son really finding his feet at school and full of excitement about the world
happy days
:)

thrifty delights

2010-10-08T11:17:00.004+01:00

my heart skipped a beat when i spied this box
in my favourite charity shop earlier this week!

ooh a little red riding hood option

yeah!

an absolutely perfect pedigree patch doll!

*******
next thrifty find was a
a truely fantastic coat

shame i'm too "rounded" for it!

i'm thinking this is rather steam-punky

and could be made more so with a change of buttons
and maybe some victorian black lace added

*******
last but not least
a very sweet vintage Sindy

she has seen better days to be honest
has been to a rather scissor happy hairdresser
and has nibbled feet and a snapped knee

but she's very pretty
and i'm guessing she was a ballerina Sindy
as she is elastic strung

*******

some excellent finds this week
what did you thrift this week?

fabric dyeing

2010-10-06T20:58:00.006+01:00

Just thought i'd share my latest fabric dying adventure!
All these items were dyed with Dylon machine dye
i had bought a couple shirts because i loved the style
but they were white and i just can't do white!

i choose "burlesque red" which is more a purple/maroon colour than red really
if you've never tried them before machine dyes are really easy to use
but you do have to send your machine through several cycles
oh and don't forget the salt
:D

along with the shirts i threw in
a couple cotton tote bags
a selection of crocheted doilies
a pair of fingerless gloves of unknown yarn
and a handful of cotton buttons {i tied them up in a bag*}

i'd assumed all the doileys were cotton
but it looks like some of them were a cotton/synthetic mix
and the gloves must have had some natural fibres too :)
i love how they all came out
and i'll be adding those doilies to tote bags anyday now

* they escaped :(

you can buy dylon dyes

on Amazon

or even cheaper
at CoopersDirect.com

go to dylon's website
for more info on their products
and to find a local supplier

DYLON.co.uk

*******

gratuitous button shot!
:D

my baby girl grew up

2010-10-04T11:30:00.004+01:00

she turned sixteen yesterday :)

we had a lovely day
i cooked a roast for ten
i've never cooked for so many people before and it went really well
which i was surprised and really happy about :)

the extremely delicious birthday cake was baked by her boyfriend

gorgeous pavlova made by my Aunty Jane

and this flaccid phallic carrot made me laugh
whilst i stood for an hour prepping the veggies!
Just because i'm forty and have a grown up daughter
doesn't mean i've gotten any more mature in the brain
ha ha ha ha ha
:D

a proud moment indeed :)

2010-10-02T22:47:00.003+01:00

i am so (sew!) proud to have my "spool striptease"
chosen by kittykill to be
October's featured project in the needlework section
of Crafster Forum

http://www.craftster.org/

there is also an interview
you can read it here

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=361032.0

i also realised i hadn't put this new design on the blog
please excuse the poor photo
and fabric in need of an iron!

"rapid weightloss"

more to follow . . . . . soon . . . . ish!

childminding and my poor neglected blog

2010-10-01T17:09:00.011+01:00

blogger is being silly and i can't put these photo's how i want them . . . . . grrr
but how cool is this vintage camera i picked up on wednesday? answer very very cool!

i'm sorry i am guilty of neglecting my blog at the moment - i am a childminder for my day job and have taken on some new kiddos - so i've been busy busy busy all day then sooo tired by nightime i just turn into a zombie!

the first day of my working week goes like this :
first two kids arrive at 7.45am
get my own boy ready for school
next two kids come at 8.30am
leave house with me pushing baby in buggy, the 3 walking kids plus my own boy start off for school at 8.35am
get to school at 8.50 drop my boy plus the first two kids off{all diferent classes}
walk to different school to drop off 3yr old.
Breathe a sigh of relief
take baby to music/dance group
walk back to first school to collect 4 yr old.
home for dinner.
rescue dog from baby.
put baby down for sleep.
wake baby up to walk to school and collect my boy and 4yr olds sibling.
go to park.
deal with mindees grazed knees. ouch.
bump into first set of kid's Mum on way to pre-school to collect 3 yr old.
go home - get all mindee 1 & 2's stuff together
chat about change of hours with their Mum.
they leave at 4.40pm
then me and remaining kids and an excited dog go off for a walk.
get home in time for my boy to be taken to swimming lesson.
mayhem of nappy changing - sorting school bags, packed lunch boxes - nappy bags and teddy bears and dummies - kids are collected at 5.30pm.

breathe another sigh of relief

make dinner, watch the simpsons, wonder where my daughter is, persuade boy it's bed time, remember the guinea piggies are out in the run in the dark - go and get them in hoping i don't stand in any dog sh#t.
tell boy to GO TO SLEEP {lots}

open a bottle of pear cider - drink it too fast - almost fall asleep at computor but still fail to go to bed 'till midnight.

*******

next day is a little easier.
start work at 7.45am as day before but only have two mindees plus my own boy to walk to school
we collect huge ammount of fallen leaves/conkers/acorns for fridays craft club.
drop kids and return home as next child starts at 9.15am
take 2yr old to playgroup deal with potty training, terrible two's tantrums etc
collect 4yr old from school
home for lunch
put 2yr old up for sleep.
wake 2yr old {who has a tantrum} for school run.
collect my boy and 4yr olds sibling from school.
go home - get snack - get dog - jump in puddles.
rush home for first two kids to be collected.
get 2yr olds stuff together.
2yr old collected at 4.45pm.

and breathe.
cook tea - watch tv with the boy - get boy to bed.
wait for daughter to get home.
check out the craft forum i have taken over and moderate.
have shower - drink pear cider - watch True Blood.
intend to go to bed at midnight but start needlefelting - broken needle stops play.
bed at 1am.

*******

wake up at 6.30am which is very annoying :(
it is POURING with rain.
just my own boy to take to school this morning.
deliver my avon catalogues {oh yes ding dong i'm an avon lady!}
stop for a cuppa at my aunt and uncles
friend across the road asks if i want to go kayaking. erm no thanks - it's wet enough on dry ground today! {plus i'm a wussy and i couldn't do that}
go food shopping - i'm cooking a roast dinner on sunday for 10 people as it's my
daughters 16th birthday
feel old.
and worried about cooking for 10 and wondering how i can be 40yrs old and not know what is a good joint of pork.

today i start work at 12pm
Just the two mindees and my boy.
get a lift to collect 4yr old from school at 12pm.
home for lunch.
then me and 4yr old walk to the local museum/gallery where i do my voluntary job
from 1 - 3pm
voluntary job is helping run an art and craft pre-schoolers club
glitter glue paint dough mess fun!
we make leaf prints-leaf crowns and leaf collages!
3pm go collect kids from school - my partner meets us so we can walk the dog in
the park.
supposed to finish work at 5.30pm but the mindees Mum has finished college early and arrives just before 4pm - takes twenty minutes to get them out the door as they are so happy playing!
wonder where my daughter is.
partner goes to work - he'll get home around 4am.
daughter texts to say she's been doing extra french at school.
make tea.
watch crap tv with the boy.
get him to bed at 9pm.

BLOG about how busy i've been
and hope my readers forgive me for my lack of blogging!

tired.

yawn.

where's my chocolate?

feel glad i only work three days a week!

ouch - skewered yarn ball!

2010-09-14T21:10:00.004+01:00

so i'm still on a cross-stitch designing mission!

here's the latest crafty character

yarn ball

:D

this photo makes me laugh as he looks like he's parping <3

he he he!

poor yarn ball

>.<

that can't be comfortable!

> ouch <

i made this into a card for my knitting mad best friend

i hope she got her post before she sees this post!

Happy belated birthday Lisa

i miss you

BIG TIME

xXx

ooh get me i commissioned a piece of jewellery

2010-09-01T21:14:00.000+01:00

Do you remember how i won a customised ring
in a blog giveaway last year?

http://maximumrabbitdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/06/hand-made-goodies-in-post.html

here it is below i LOVE it and wear it everyday

i think it is a great example of how blog giveaways work as a selling tool
because i liked it so much that i ordered one for my cousins 18th birthday
then my daughter liked my cousins so much i ordered one for her!
My cousin ordered one for her friend and my daughters friend also has one on her wish list!
it's like a domino effect!!!

*******
Anyway down to business!
it was my 40th birthday in July
and i wanted something special to commemorate it
so i looked on Etsy at silver stacker rings and found loads of pretty ones
i decided i wanted a stack of rings with three gem set ones
i researched birthstones
a ruby for me and my partner
an opal for my daughter
and a turquoise for my son
so then i got in touch with Nic of Murano Silver,
it was fun having a little rally of emails sorting out the details

Nic sent me photo's of gemstones she had in stock

when she had set the stones in bezels she sent me another photo
showing me a choice of ring bands with the stone blue tacked on

i had a choice of hammered or bark texture for the stone set rings

"bark"

"hammered"

i decided on hammered for the gem set and bark for the spacer rings

and then i waited

and today they arrived!

ooh twinkly!

and sparkly!

all together

or just the trio

i can't stop looking at them!

what i great experience from start to finish

thanks so much to Nicola for making me
exactly what i wanted

and a huge thank-you to Derek
for buying them for me :D xxx

http://www.muranosilver.com/

Dawlish holiday

2010-08-28T22:03:00.005+01:00

We've just got home from our family summer holiday in Dawlish in South Devon,
we are very lucky to get to stay for free in the father out of laws house,
last year we were really lucky and had amazingly good weather
we were not so lucky this time
but to be honest there is so much to do locally it wasn't a problem

if you click on this photo you can see a steam train coming into Dawlish

it was a bit wet but the beach huts still look pretty!

the go-carts at Dawlish Warren

i've meaning to get this design stitched up for ages
i knew the evenings would involve a fair bit of *yawn* tv
so i took along all my cross stitch gear

my son had good fun trying on all the helmets at Torquay Museums summer exhibition

my daughter with i think a Celt
the exhibition had props from loads of films including Gladiator
it's a really lovely Museum and very child friendly

my brave children going for a dip!

we had a lovely but tiring day at Paignton Zoo
six hours of walking!

finished my spool strip tease!!!

this was taken at the play area in Teignmouth
luckily Grandad warned us about the water play!
Wish our local park was as good as this one, it was really fantastic.

Wednesday was the worst weather day
forcasted torrential rain all day
so we headed off to the BIG CITY of Exeter on the train
my credit card got a battering!!!

here are my lovely new shoes
{i'm a croc addict!}
perfect for rock pooling!

'tis serious business!

my partner found these star fish
i've never found one before
they were so sweet

loved the hermit crab too!

Grandad found a fish - my son picked up loads of shell fish
it was a lovely day :)
and a lovely {if soggy} holiday
so nice to spend time together without the distrations of home.

school's out for summer!

2010-07-20T21:05:00.002+01:00

"proud artist"

I can't believe my little boy has finished
his first school year already!

"teacher gift"

thanks to his lovely teacher
he has really enjoyed school, he got a great school report, a scrapbook full of lovely and interesting observations and his speech has come on briliantly infact i'd go so far as to say it was as good as the rest of his classmates
:o)

"cute writing"

Don't you just love the way they get their letters
flipped round when they're learning?
At the beach the other day he wrote his name in the sand upside down and mirrored at the same time, i doubt he could've if he'd been trying too!

The canvas painting of his teacher was my sons own idea, he had decorated her a tote bag for christmas and he was very proud when she told him how much she liked it and used it for her "show and tell" :o)

i managed to summon up a little bit of crafty-ness and made her a mother-of-pearl button bracelet, which she was wearing and thanked me for when i collected him :o)

doesn't time just fly by?
oh yeah
*whispers*
i was forty nearly two weeks ago

*
omg
*

thrifty kitschy owls!

2010-07-05T17:32:00.004+01:00

i found these owls this weekend

now some people think they're cute

and some people think they're creepy

i myself think they sooo cute they're almost creepy!

and look they're not just decorative but funtional too!

and off they go to my etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50827443/kitschy-vin tage-owl-s alt-and-pepper

oh and they are unused and come in their original
but rather tatty packaging
which i thought was rather nice too

Meridian Ariel's primitive dolls

2010-07-04T11:53:00.005+01:00

"Eleanor"

my friend MeridianAriel has recently started making these primitive style monster dolls
i think they are great
i love the "grungified" treatment she gives them
and if you head over to her blog you can read their stories too

"Claudette and Lisette"

"Oona"

i think they are getting better with each monster doll she makes
i love Oona and her pretty doily dress
here's a bit of her story
"Oona likes spinning tales and lies spill from her mouth like wildflower honey . . . . ."

go to Meri's blog to read more

http://meridianariel.blogspot.com/

hoopla

2010-06-19T22:03:00.003+01:00

i seem to be stockpiling embroidery hoops
which is hardly surprising when you see
how many fantastically varied
works of art you can frame in them!
to see these photo's bigger and linked to their creators click the link to my flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26594226@N04/4714859087/

the Alice legs going down the rabbit hole make me smile everytime!!!

gorgeous jewellery giveaway

2010-06-17T14:00:00.003+01:00

fantastic blog giveaway

head over to Rachel Lucie Jewellery Designs blog

you can win a pair of gorgeous hand crafted earrings
by just leaving a comment

http://rachelluciejewellerydesigns.blogspot.com/2010/06/rachel-lucie-blog-giveaway.html

closing date 30th June
12 midnight GMT

good luck
:o)

things to make me happy

2010-06-14T22:06:00.003+01:00

i really LOVE this embroidery
by Joey's Dream Garden

http://joeysdreamgarden.blogspot.com/

it won the orange catergory
in feelingstitchy's competition

and now you can vote for it as overall winner
check out the other entries too
and cast your vote!

http://www.feelingstitchy.com/2010/06/cast-your-votes.html

*******

cotton candy muncher

this just makes me smile!
i really love these softies
i don't think they could fail to cheer you up!!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/scrumptiousdelight

*******

other things that are making me happy

finally Doctor Who has returned to form
i know it's silly of me to care so much but honestly
this series started out so well
we had a few good episodes
then it was just
RUBBISH
RUBBISH RUBBISH
and then we had the VanGogh episode and i breathed a sigh of relief
and then saturday nights which i loved too!
YAY!

and then
*drum roll*
it was announced that
TORCHWOOD
is definately coming back
whoop whoop

yep i know i'm a saddo
but hey it's makes me HAPPY :O)

so now i'm just waiting for series two of TRUEBLOOD on channel four
why is it taking them soooo long
sheesh don't they know i'm waiting?!

*******

in crafting news i'm sooooo close to finishing the tardis cross stitch
yep i know i said it was finished before
BUT
i decided i didn't like the background
so a million black cross stitches later
and it's nearly ready for framing!

little shop update

2010-06-13T22:04:00.002+01:00

mother-of-pearl buttons
random mix of fifty
$7.50

rug making tools
$5.00

super cute cotton bobbins
$3.00

all available in my Etsy shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/VINTAGEhaberdashery

*******

sorry for lack of blogging lately
i seem to have mislaid my mojo
it's probably hiding
under a pile of
buttons.

end of May already!

2010-05-31T22:24:00.001+01:00

wow that month went fast didn't it!

turquoise and red forever

2010-05-28T22:13:00.005+01:00

1. Patchwork bag and brooch, 2. Phone iPhone case (Valentine red), 3. Bottle Cap Pincushion #274, 4. drink me, 5. Color Me Pink, 6. Hot In Here, 7. cerise1, 8. stitching in the shade of the lilac tree, 9. anouk03

some flickr favourites and my latest work too
i just love this colour combination.

lovely post :o)

2010-05-22T10:40:00.005+01:00

ooh look what the postman brought me
a lovely parcel all wrapped up in pattern paper and brown string

pretty things inside the envelope
i've been lusting after that matryoshka fabric for ages!
{click on the photo's for bigger views}
love the vintage pattern/button card

ooh ooh my own "button thief"
i love this picture

altogether now

a personalised starbucks coffee mug

and some very mod buttons AND a layered button pendant
WOW what a cheery start to the day
a lovely parcel for no reason but much appreciated
thank-you so much Apryl

check out Apryl's lovely crafty and baked treasures
on her blog

http://meridianariel.blogspot.com/

not much of anything

2010-05-20T23:25:00.007+01:00

I've not got a lot of craftiness to blog this week
i have been busy drafting more cross stitch patterns
but have nothing much stitched up to show off

accidentally arty photo of us in his sunglass lenses!

i bought some new fishing nets and as it was a lovely sunny day
we went and tested them out at the rockpools
if you look very very VERY close in this bucket you'll see what we caught!

oh i do love to live beside the seaside :o)

*******

I bought a couple of tiny hoops and a booklet of embroidery stitches on eBay
and used a scrap from a vintage table runner i'd upcyled
to try out a few different techniques and colours

why do i do my best work on scraps of fabric
that i meant to just doodle on ??!!!!

my best friends wedding . . . . .

2010-05-15T22:03:00.003+01:00

As per usual i was totally disorganised and started on this the night before their wedding,
they had the nicest, low-key and laid back wedding EVER
they wanted no fuss - just their friends to come and enjoy their day
they were not in it for the presents. . . . . .

BUT
Lisa is my very best friend
we met twenty years ago
when we both worked here
http://www.bluegallery.co.uk/
she was there for me through good times and bad
she was like an extra parent to my daughter for her first five years
and if you can't make something to celebrate your BFF's wedding . . . .

^ LOOK LOOK LOOK ^
french knots
i can do them at last!
it's only taken me twenty odd years of trying
and now i know how there is no stopping me!

the photo's aren't great
but i gave it to them now so it's too late to take more

***CONGRATULATIONS***
Lisa and Sam
Mr & Mrs
wow does that mean you're grown ups now?

*******

to make this little sampler i used a vintage embroidered doily,
i drew on a heart with water erasable pen but it was really old so seemed to be fading as i worked!
i worked the hearts outline with chainstitch and filled it with french knots http://stitchschool.blogspot.com/2010/01/french-knot.html
i used the full 6strands of cotton so i got a very raised heart
then i added the date and names
i would've prefered to have marked them out too as there was no room
for correction as the floss marked the fabric if i unpicked a stitch
so i had to embrace freehand
i actually really like the more hand written effect
i finished the hoop using my tutorial
i used black cotton velvet and some sweet little heart buttons.
{the doily had a cotton lace edging which i was going
to leave showing but it was a bit too kitsch tbh}

just adding a little bit of colour on a cold wet day.

2010-05-14T16:23:00.005+01:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrumptiousdelight/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ItzFitz

http://lilfishstudios.blogspot.com/

http://bluefishhandmade.blogspot.com/

http://kitschensinkuk.blogspot.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/kitlane

they definately cheered me up
:o)
hope it worked for you too!

more upcycling - pjs to lunch bag!

2010-05-06T22:17:00.007+01:00

my boy's glow in the dark skeleton pajamas are sadly outgrown!
i've been "trying" to take them to the charity shop
but i just couldn't do it
so inspired by MeridianAriel
i did this instead!

no it's not a ribcage vest
although that would be cool!

after sewing along the bottom edge
{please ignore the awful stitching
me and my machine have a love/hate relationship
mostly based on pure spitting hatred}
i slightly shaped the bottom
and i also hemmed the other edges.

and now my son has a new school lunch bag!
cool!
i was inspired by this tutorial
by MeridianAriel

http://meridianariel.blogspot.com/2010/04/upcycled-tshirt-projectbook-bag.html

she just got a fancy new sewing machine for her birthday
so watch out for other new sewing projects on her blog :o)

matryoshka sewing kit!

2010-04-30T16:48:00.006+01:00

i cannot resist russian doll sets
and went really crazy buying them
like they were going out of fashion a year or so ago
i have sold a few sets in my Etsy shops
but i also have quite a few sets who have sadly lost members of their families
:o(

poor Mama here has lost her littlest baby,
her other daughters are growing up and getting underfoot
what they all need is a vocation in life . . . .

Mama gets to be pin-cushion

big sister the spool keeper and
little sister is in charge of buttons!

no matryoshka were hurt to create this set and
they are very simply reverted to a stacking doll set

Mama and her girls are heading off to Etsy
to find a new craft room to live in
:o)

i've got pins and needles . . . .

2010-04-28T22:43:00.004+01:00

i've been thinking about making this for AGES

today i had literally minutes to make something
so i gathered up my ingredients
and jumped in with both feet!

ingredients:
an orphaned russian doll
a scrap of fabric
some plain pins
some fancy pins
a styrofoam egg

open up your doll
cover the egg with the scrap of fabric
you want to pull the fabric tight - i used stretch velour
pin fabric to bottom of the egg
cut of excess fabric

pop the covered egg into the doll body
i didn't use glue as it was a perfect fit

load with a few pretty pins
and you're done!

this was so simple
but
i love her!

business cards :o)

2010-04-26T13:43:00.003+01:00

i got a pack of 50 business cards using my own images just for the price of postage
you could choose 50 different designs if you wanted but i narrowed it down to about 20
these are some of my favourites :o)
because they were "free" they had a strip of advertising on them
so i trimmed it off and also rounded off the corners

i had meant to order the mini sized ones to fit in my new button box but must've ticked the wrong box but hey ho these fit perfectly in an Altoids tin !

they make me feel like a proper grown-up
"ooh let me give you my business card"
la~di~da
:o)

*******
oh by the way they were from moo.com
super easy to order and edit
fast delivery
and they came with a 10% discount code
MJY2UNW
although i think the free for postage offer is still on
:o)

pincushion swap - what i sent

2010-04-21T10:28:00.004+01:00

talk about great timing
the two parcels arrived on the same day
so now i know Jenny's has arrived too
i can show you what i made for her

i bought a set of plain cardboard boxes from Ikea last time we went and thought that one would be perfect to house the pincushion,
i decorated it with my button stamps and embossing powder

I made the pincushion from vintage embroidered linen.
I made a large suffolk puff - stuffed it - added a button - bound it tightly into four sections and then made a large covered button to cover the hole at the bottom.

i think i will be making more of these covered buttons
i don't get on with the metal buttons with little teeth i just can't get them right so i found a cheaper and easier and upcycle-ier way
i will blog what i did soon :o)

the brief was to make and send a pincushion and a few crafty supplies
so i picked out a few vintage bits and bobs
added a button stamp kit
and of course some new pins!

i really enjoyed this swap
:o)

see what everyone else made/received
here
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1371627@N21/

and thanks again to the lovely Claire Payne
for organising the swap and letting me play
:o)
http://clairesblog.paynedesign.co.uk/

pin cushion swap - received

2010-04-20T14:00:00.004+01:00

here's what i received in my latest swap
my partner was Jenny - who has just had a baby :o)
check out her blog here
http://gingerbreadhouse.wordpress.com/

some really cute tiny hanging signs and a house button

goodies!!!

the pincushion -
it is made of felt and very bright
i couldn't lose this one
not even in my mess of a workdesk!

cute basket shaped card of needles

and some lovely fabric - with a very vintage vibe :o)

thanks again Jenny for getting my parcel to me against the odds!
{read her blog to find out
what's been happening in her world}

and thanks to the lovely Claire.P for organising the pincushion swap :o)

thrifty finds. . . .

2010-04-18T22:45:00.005+01:00

i've found lots of lovely things in the last couple of weeks
the silhouette is a needlework kit
not started with a frame and all the threads too :o)

some very very funky cats eye shaped glasses
a very old school reading book of Annancy stories

i had a quick check to make sure it wasn't rascist as so
many books with black characters of this period are
before reading the first story to my son

i love the illustrations and the story

a bag of vintage stamps these were my favourites
i love space stamps

nice medallion - i guess you would've had it engraved

me in the "Aunty Thelma glasses"
my Aunty has always worn this style of glasses
so i had to get them!!!!

the lenses are sooooo strong!
*****
i also found a vintage tea set one bowl short of complete
in a blue rose pattern very 50's
it had
6x cups/saucers
6x tea plates
6x larger plates
and
5x bowls
shame i have nowhere to display it or store it!!!

*******

ahhh happy thrifting :o)