A little swap for that glorious mner GM!

On mumsnet, that hallowed website where mums judge each others lifestyle choices, sorry I meant support each other ;-), there is a busy corner named the arts and crafts section, which boasts the nicest bunch of mners you are ever likely to meet. In the general spirit of bonhomie which occurs on this corner of the site, one of the arts and crafts ladies decided to set up a craft swap, swappees were decided by lottery and there was a theme, although I didn't, in true rebellious spirit, stick to it and I couldn't think of anything suitably 'Easter'.
Knowing my swap partner is a keen and talented softee maker and knowing she does so with bare hands, rather than machine, made me think she may like a pin cushion. So voila!
I used the pattern from last months issue of Knit Today and although I had a bit of a wrestle with the top icing, due to the stuffing, which led to a few stitches being looser than I would have liked, I'm fairly chuffed with it. Well I was until darling husband said it reminded him of a breast!
I crocheted a bag to put it in with some stash wool and bought a metre of ribbon from the local market to top it off with. Hope you like it GM!

A little Self Indulgence or A Sense of Spring Challenge

A little Self Indulgence

Everyone needs a little me time, a little self indulgence. Crafting is no exception because though you love to craft it isn’t always something for you. Its something to sell, a gift to make for a friend, another thing for the kids. When was the last time you actually sat down and made something just for you? Made something for the sheer joy of your chosen craft ?

The challenge is to put on your favourite cd, sit in the middle of your crafting space, and see what the music inspire you to do. Go on be selfish and make something for you and you alone.

Or


A Sense of Spring

Inspired by the little yellow flower I found while walking today I want you to create something inspired by the colour and essence of spring. It can be anything you like, any colour, but it must be your interpretation of spring. I know we have all been busy doing the Easter swap, but I want this to be more than chocolate bunnies, and coloured Easter eggs. This about all the things that mean spring to you, daffodils, and new born lambs, laundry snapping on the line, walks in the woods, the fresh green of new leaves and grasses. Blue skies, and bright sunshine.

as always this challenge is about fun, so please have fun with it.

-Meri

Eye patch tutorial,

Thought I would post this here too, it is the eye patch I made for Lucy, full tutorial is here.  I've made these before but had to make a new one a couple of weeks ago as it went missing.  I thought she had hidden it in protest (she's not keen on patching!), but it has since turned up in my dressing gown pocket, oops!

take a bow MN crafters...

I've given you all an award here (just realised that seems to include giving an award to myself, which isn't quite what I'd intended - am not quite that self-congratulatory - I swear!)

The Award originally came from
Arte Y Pico's Blog
The Award rules are:
* Post the award on your own blog.(Post who gave it to you) - so I've done this bit
*Indicate its original link and link to that site. (Arte Y Pico from Uruguay) - and this bit
*Give the award to 5 other blogs that you enjoy, find creative and inspire you - now you guys need to nominate some inspiring blogs for us all to enjoy...

feel free to put this on your own blogs, as long as you follow the rules above

I am so glad I found the MN craft forum - it's the bees knees, the cats pyjamas and a daily inspiration...

My first post here-feeling blue!

Better late than never-I have finally risen to the challenge! Had such fun working on this-thank you for the great inspiration!

love Dingle!

Easter Swap - Miaou to Dizzyday

Today I received my swap from Miaou. It came wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon.

Upon opening I found .....

A gorgeous little purple knitted bag that closes with a drawstring. It's been knitted in the round (I think it's called that!!) and has a spiralling pattern.

Inside was a little bag of chocolates - yum yum.

Thank you Jill - It's lovely xx

meeting the recycling challenge...

this is one I expect to return to...great challenge Meridian



I made a needle book from some old felted sweaters




better than spending a tenner at Cath Kidston and something I've always wanted


I love the little bow at the back - I was aiming for a kind of vintage lingerie look and by jove I think I've got it!

Little dollie present

I made this little lady last night with the fabric I bought from a shop I had totally forgot about (thanks to my hubby for reminding me).

Madison has a party on Saturday so this is going to be her present. I just hope she likes it as much as I enjoyed making her.

Blue challenge

Here is my blue challenge - I thought I would try making some bracelets with the beads I normally stick on cards!
JBR xxx

Blue!

Here's a blue card - just a simple one so be nice

Recycled and Blue!!

In answer to the "Blue" and "Recycled" challenges here is my offering.

It is made from a shirt that DS has grown out of. The design was too big to cut it down to cover a cushion but it was just big enough to squash a pillow into!!

I put the sleeves inside and sewed (sp?) the seams shut. The collar is still on (though a bit dark in the picture to see) so the neck opening was sewn shut too.

Sneaky Peek

RantingHousewife - this is for you!!!! A little teaser pic of the 'thing' I'm making you as part of the Easter Swap.

Hopefully better late than never - heres my blue item.

It's an Anthropologie inspired shrug from a pattern I found on Ravelry.

Too Chilly!

I've decided it's too chilly to bead today as my conservatory (AKA My Beady Workspace!) takes far too long to warm up. However I almost forgot the sets of stitchmarkers I made yesterday. Some are the 10mm rings and some are the opening type. I think they look rather sweet & I will be taking them to the craft fair at the end of the month.

Knitters - is 4 a good number for a set do you think?

My first beading experience

As well as being scared of sewing machines and dolls legs I was also a bit wary of beading wire and prefered to stick to chains.

I did a bit of research and then spent spent spent.

So far this is what I've done.......

The bracelet is Smokey Quartz and silver and the necklace is Garnet and Carnelian. Its actually really relaxing to do. All I need now is for someone to volunteer to take the mini beasts for the day so I can spend some real time doing it.

I've also submitted the photo I took of the candy cables to the Guardian newspaper. They're doing a section called "In pictures" and they change the theme of it. The next theme they have asked for is "symmetry". I think the prize is some sort of camera. So fingers crossed!

Easter Swap - Dior to GreebosWhiskers...

Here is the first official picture of my swap...

I have Recycled!

Here is my effort at recycling and re-using. I took two bracelets 'donated' by Gingermonkey for recyling a while back ........

I took them apart and managed to make a few bits & bobs. I had to add a few seed beads and a couple of other beads & earwires - but here's what I came up with.

The orange beads are acrylic and quite kitsch but I rather like them & have used them in some funky earrings and a key fob.

The green beads were really quite sweet and I made two pairs of earrings. In the green bracelet was something that looked a bit like turquoise chips (not sure if it's real or imitation) but I used them to make another pair of earrings.

The toggles I will definately use in the future, probably on bracelets as they are lovely and chunky.

Recycle - Reuse - Re-craft - A Challenge

Recycle - Reuse - Re-craft
This week’s challenge is to do some craft recycling!

We all have excess bits of crafting materials at home, that seem to multiply so lets put those bits to good use. Repaint and old canvas, turn curtains into clothes, clothes into dolls.

Alternatively have a rummage around your local thrift/charity shop and turn something unwanted and shabby into something crafty and chic. Pilfer the car boot box, Fight off the spiders lurking in the attic. Ask friends or family if they have any fabric, frames, junk jewellery, flower pots, floor tiles, anything you can get crafty with.

A Few Ideas:

Felt an old woollen jumper, or unpick it wash the yarn and knit something new.

Find an old wooden picture frame, sand it down and paint it and frame a painting, a drawing, scraps of fabric, etc.

Recycle old beaded jewellery from something old and unworn into a newer more contemporary piece.

Recycle old jeans into toys, wallets, ornaments.

Recycle magazine or newspaper or old fabric into card craft.

Paint old pine furniture, or boxes.

I want before and after pictures of your recycled crafts. And no cheating and buying new!
Most of all have fun and Recycle, Reuse and Re-craft.

- Meri

Lucy's map...

I haven't got round to doing anything blue yet, so thought I would enter this instead, as I love the blue ocean and sky.

It is Lucy's map that she made at saturday 'art club', she's so proud of it, has been showing it to everyone.  

You can read the explanation of the spellings here.

Blue Challenge - Whizzz

Here's my Blue Challenge piece - a bracelet made with aqua and white seed beads. I was inspired after looking back through my photos of the Cornish sea (see my blog) and thought I'd try and capture the blue of the sea, with the white foam. I've used loops and fringes on the bracelet to try and get some movement.

Good grief, I have completed some knitting!

Using big fat needles and bobbly wool hides a multitude of sins! I am quite pleased with this as it's lovely and soft. The wool only cost me £3 for 3 balls so it is also a bargain - even better! I am a terrible knitter and can't do anything more adventurous than plain knitting in (more or less!) equal rows!

I also started playing with blue beads today for the Challenge, but ended up dismantling things. Hopefully I will be more inspired tomorrow. I seem to have the ideas but when I sit down & try and actually put the ideas into practice, it ends up being 'not quite right'. Anyway, I have sold my purple multi strand necklace to a friend and with the proceeds I have ordered some more beads to make a couple more in different colours & my mum might also get one for Mothers Day!

blue challenge- meridian

tourquoise bracelet

blue agate hair bobble

these are my second and third attempt at something blue, the first went a bit titanic on me and I'll not go into it. I quite like the hair bobble and may do some more with a few large beads I have and refine the technique a little bit.

EASTER SWAP - PARTNERS POSTED!!!

Didn't think it was fair to keep you waiting any longer ;0)

meridian <-------> Nbg
Whizzz <-------> jeangenie
Dingle <-------> Champs
GingerMonkey <-------> rantinghousewife
GreebosWhiskers <-------> Dior
JackBlackRoadie <-------> VintageViolet
Fubsy <-------> Tillyboo
Dizzyday07 <-------> Miaou

I assigned everyone a number alphabetically & made dh call out pairs (took a while amid the cracks about being like the Scottish cup draw, when are the fixtures being played etc :0/). I'll try to get partners' contact details emailed out over the next few days but I think we're pretty much all HERE on the blog anyway aren't we?

Happy crafting :0)

ETA :- have updated to include poor Dior (sorry sorry sorry) who I got confused with WWB who isn't even signed up for this one . . .oh dear.

A little blue cheat

Now I have started the blue challenge but just in case I don't get it done I've posted this. If Tillyboo can do it ;)
It was taken last year in Kitzbuhel, Austria.

Blue - An exploding gift box

Well, 'better late than never' should become my motto! I have made an exploding gift box (where the sides collapse when you take the lid off) for the 'blue' challenge...

vInTaGe VioLeT's Button Sale

bags of mixed size plastic vintage buttons -
vintage condition,unwashed straight from the button box(some crazing etc)

browns/beiges x 50 £1.50
beiges/taupes x 50 " "
grey x 50 "
black x 50 "
white x 50 "
pearly white x 50 " "

yellow x 25 £1.00
red x 25 £1.00
green x 25 £1.00
blue x 25 £1.00

vintage white linen(grubby) x 50 £2.00

vintage m.o.p. x 50 £3.50

many more styles available!!!! please feel free to email me for more infomation at
maximumrabbitdesigns@yahoo.co.uk



-vInTaGe VioLeT

Hi, Blue....

and here's mine - must admit I feel a bit silly posting it after the first two beautiful submissions but hey ho, that's not what it's all about, right???

anyway....



it's a card that allowed me to play with my pinking shears and my latest favourite vice of sewing fabric to card (when it's not milk cartons!). The fabric is from a pair of cotton pyjama bottoms that I bought from Primark in the largest size they had just so I could get as much fabric as possible to cut up. Primark pyjama bottoms, my top tip...

Blue ...

In-case I do not manage to make 'blue', here's a photo taken last year of Boo on the beach in Bude.
Blue Sky, Blue sea-side top, blue bucket, blue spade ....

I'd like to say that the sea was sparkling blue but this is England ....

Blue

As part of the Blue challenge, set by Meridian (and as a reward for making the horrible tablecloth for my friend - no you can't see pictures of my wonky sewing) I have made this little lady. She's not actually finished, her legs are pinned on not sewn yet (I'm going to have some lunch first, ok?). She has blue needlecord for a dress, blue legs, and a lovely blue flower embroidered onto a button (not by me, I might add, that's be pushing the boat out a little too far!)

So there you go. Bluebell? Seems a fitting name.

What did I miss?

Since Ravelry took over my life I've been neglecting MN a tad - did I miss a big barney?

I've been working away here but have nothing to show for it 'cos I forgot to get pics taken before I sent everything out (oops).

Still, I've managed 2 and a half pairs of crocheted lace-up fingerless gloves (my own new design & I still have a pair here so will hopefully get pics), a crocheted heart-shaped coaster for my mum, a granny square for Thom's afghan on Rav, a teacup cosy for a swap (again on Rav) & now I'm halfway through a scarf for FIL's 70th birthday this week. I hope he'll like it but I suspect he'll like the special edition Ardbeg single malt he's getting along with it a little more :0)

Etsy Yummie

On a regular "etsy drool" I came across these scrummie bags

I love the diaper bags with matching changing mats..... really sweet and you get a custom monogram too!!

Hello Mumsnetters!

Hi guys! Just a quick post because ds is at Beavers. I am feeling a lot better now and have actually managed a little cross stitch today - so will be accepting the 'blue' challenge. I have some lovely shades of blue felt that I will have a play with...

Photos soon!

Whizzz's Craft Clearout !

Sale Item:

LOLLIPOP Uppercase alphabet set in VVGC in fact some of the dies haven't been taken out of their plastic bags ! £65 inc £5 P&P

please contact Whizzz

A Colour Challenge

Our first challenge in this brand new crafters blog is a colour challenge. Inspired by the blue storm front I observed over Sainsbury's last week the colour for the challenge is blue, any blue you so desire, dark blue, light blue, teal just as long as there is some element of blue in your crafting.

the medium is anything you wish, beads, paint, cards, fabric, papier machet, etc

due date: Monday the 18th of Feb (in two weeks time) if you finish your challenge before the due date please feel free to post your pictures here at anytime.

Happy Crafting Ladies

- meridian

What a way to spend a saturday!

Well, while the great mumsnet buying & selling debate continued, this is what I got up to...

Julie Arkell gave a fascinating workshop, I was stunned watching her beautifully create one of her papier mache creatures.

She makes it look so easy...

If you're brave enough, you can see my attempts here!

Halloooooo

Tis Nbg here.
Just checking this is working for moi.

Chief Bickerer

Hi all. I am signing in here just to see if I can! MN kickstarted my card making and then gave me the encouragement to try beading, it's so sad to see it spiralling out of control. I love the A&C board because you know you can always get an honest opinion and loads of encouragement and ideas from others. I have managed to up date my Blog today with a few bits and bobs.

mumsnet bickering

linen

mother of pearl

today i've got involved in a silly "discussion" about selling our surplus craft supplies on the arts & crafts section - so i vote that we sell our stuff on here instead - is that ok with everyone?


i have sucessfully sold several bags of vintage buttons and would like to continue - i also have beads - ribbons - cotton lace and probably fabrics too if only i could clear a path to to cupboard!!!!!

vInTaGe VioLeT

Just Signing in!!

Hiya!! tis champs here

just checking posting from my dash board.