The weekends results

I have had to force myself to make 2 cards this weekend for birthdays that are coming up.
This is the first time I've used a pre-printed card. I added a stamped image by Penny Black and punched flowers, some of which are raised.



The second card was framed using a small stamp of different leaves. I have raised the outer end of each leaf to make them stand out more. The monkey was stamped onto different shades of brown paper and then cut and placed together to make the image-this is a technique that I haven't tried before but will be using a lot more as it makes the image bolder than just water colouring it.




I have also finally got round to showing the inchies I've been sewing for the swap. Don't look too closely at the red sewing around the edges as it is not as neat as the samples! I have used lovely glass beads to make the pattern on each of the finished ones.
Only 10 more to finish!

a new project

A new project project I've started is the a melly and me pattern called Lottie and little lady which is lovely. The big ladybird has a little bag to hang around her neck which holds a little baby ladybird (little lady).
I couldn't find any brighter red spotty material for her body but this does look a bit brighter in real life than in the photo so I think it'll look good when it's finished.
It took a while to get the arms and legs looking right but the pattern overall is very easy to follow and make. I'm sure she'll look a lot cuter when she's fully stuffed!

I have also made a start on my inchie christmas decorations for the swap. Unfortunately my sewing on the edges of the inchies isn't quite as neat as the sample so I've added plenty of beading to detract the eye from the edges!
I'll take photos tonight and post them tomorrow.

owl template

As requested here is the owl template for any of you who wish to use him on cards, applique etc. Feel free to resize him larger or smaller.
I would love to see what you do with him!
I don't know how to add for you to download directly but if you right click on the picture and save it to your computer you will then be able to open it in word or similar program (hopefully!)

a crinkly toy

I finally found put how to make a toy crinkly sounding by using cereal packet bags.
I washed the bags that the cereal is in from inside the box and layered 2 pieces of it with some wadding.
I sewed eyes and a beak onto the front piece of material and sewed the wings which have 1 piece of crinkly bag in them.
I then layered a piece of wadding and 2 pieces of crinkly bag and then on the top the piece of patterned material with the eyes and beak sewn on, right side up and then the other piece of patterned material, right side down.
The wings were then pinned in the sides so they were inside the sandwich.
I then sewed all around the outside leaving a small part unsewn in the bottom to turn it the right side.
After turning the owl the right way, the bottom seam was sewn together on the machine.
Apologies for the blurry photo!
And for all those who have asked for a template of the owl I used on my clock- I haven't forgotten and will put it on here tomorrow.

a little bird house

I have been wanting to make a little paper birdhouse for ages after seeing them in magazines and on other blogs. It was the challenge on the bubblyfunk challenge blog that gave me the push.
I started out making a birdhouse with just the large bird on and a circle of paper to show the hole but then decided to cut the hole out (not easy when the house was already stuck together!) and add a couple of baby bluebirds inside. Of course then mother bird needed some food to take to her babies so i made a red worm for her to hold.
This is the first photo of my work that i have taken outside- I thought it'd be a much nicer photo if I placed the birdhouse in a tree in my garden!

Twit Twoo

I have finally got around to altering a clock which I've had for years. It previously had a picture of Winnie the Pooh on which was very nice but it was time for a change. I've had these papers and die cuts swirls in a pack from QVC for ages.
I drew and cut out the owl and layered him up with some 3D foam behind him and in between some of the layers.
He was then placed onto the board which I have covered in different papers, edged with ink. I have only stuck them on using double sided tape so if I ever want to re-cover the clock or have it back as a Winnie clock then i should be able to.
The clock now has pride of place in my craft room.
I still have loads of the papers from the pack left so I think i will cover and decorate a cheap wooden set of drawers which were bought from IKEA next.

couple of cards

These are a couple of cards i have made recently after a visit to Stamp Addicts. Both the owl and bear stamps are by Judikins and are lovely to work with.
I wanted to make all parts of the owl card co-ordinate so tried stamping on ribbon with the same leaf stamp I'd used to make the background-I wasn't expecting it to turn out as nice as it did so it's something I'll be doing a lot more to make my own patterned ribbons!
The owl card is also the first card I've made in ages which didn't use any pre-printed backing papers-it has been sponged with ink and stamped using small rubber stamps (an idea i picked up from Stamp Addicts as they used small stamps to make the backgrounds on most of their sample cards in the shop)
I have started a couple more cards using this bear on mens cards and will post them here when they're finished.

Humpty

This toy was made following an Alan Dart pattern which I spotted on ebay. I have only tried making one toy by Alan Dart before and found it very confusing and didn't finish it as it was all going wrong. Yet again this pattern was very difficult and it took a lot of extra stitches to get his body looking symmetrical and egg shaped! I made his feet and hands differently to the pattern as I wanted to get him finished and was fed up of the fiddly bits. I embroidered a nose onto him after this photo was taken.
He will be delivered to my niece next weekend.

tilda bunny

This bunny was made from a Tilda book 'Crafting Springtime Gifts' -there are so many lovely projects in there. The actual bunny wasn't too difficult to make but the clothing directions were a bit confusing and the dress turned out too wide at the top (although doesn't look too bad once on) but the hat isn't at all like it should be-I don't know what I did wrong but I couldn't work out the proper way to make it!

baby quilt

This is the first quilt I've made and whilst making it I was thinking it'd be my last! I didn't realise just how long it would take to make and how difficult it would be! Each stage took loads longer than i expected and I found it difficult to sew the squares together so that each strip of squares would fit toegther and have neat corners.

In the end i don't think it mattered too much as you don't really notice and I think it adds to the hand made charm of it. I love the end result-it was really snuggly and if it hadn't been in baby colours I think I would have been tempted to keep it myself!

The quilt was for my friends second and baby and my friends really loved it. Now to get started on a quilt for myself!

my first bag

This was a bag i made for my sisters birthday. I followed a free pattern on the internet and found this gorgeous thick fabric in the local quilt shop. I was expecting the bag to be quite difficult to make but the instructions and diagrams are so clear that it only took me a couple of hours to make and was pretty easy ( the only thing I did wrong, due to rushing, was taping the pattern together the wrong way so my bag turned out smaller than it should have done but it still looked good when finished!)

the start...

Well this blogging is all new to me so hopefully it won't be too difficult and hopefully i'll have the time to regularly update it.
I have a few projects already finished which I can post to start my blog off