Getting organised

So here is how I spent my time crafting over the weekend. I don't have a huge amount to show you as I seemed to start a few things but not finish much. I spent alot of time debating what I could do and not alot of time making.  I did do some more on February's biscornu. That's coming along nicely now considering alot of it has been done whilst at work. I'm guessing just an hour and then the time to make up will see it done, good thing as I only have 3 days left in Feb. I've writen out my March to stitch list as we have Mothering Sunday and Mum's birthday too plus all the usuals - ATC swaps and my monthly biscornu. I've a fairly good idea what to do for each of them, even if I don't have the exact design sorted. Laura and I are having another ATC swap towards the end of March, but I'm not sure how I can top the Blackwork Fairy.

So here is the only completed make - a door hanger for a baby's room.

My stuff for Black Pear had started to take over the living room again so I had a bit of a tidy up. Mum brought me this little chest last year and I had taken alot of bits out of it when I sorted my fabrics out. Everything is now neat and tidy in it's new home and there is alot less clearing away at night now, oh and no more "have you seen an ice cream tub" shouts to the family. (followed by "no not that one, or that one")

So you can see all my threads and templates in the top row of draws. The middle two contain the bits I've made recently and a couple of half started bits the right hand one my button tin and some stuffing. (not Paxo I hasten to add!) the bottom one has a box of ribbons, cut felt, and a little tray with alsorts in (beads, buttons I've picked out for projects, sequins and a few findings.)

Well today is going to be a day of boring chores and job applications so best I get on. I've just done a little sketch of a design I quite fancy trying so the quicker I get done the quicker I can get started on this design. Have a fab week friends and thanks for stopping by. xxx

A stroll in the woods

Hi everyone,
No crafting but I thought I'd share a few pics from our afternoon at the local country park.

We're very fortunate to have a lovely local wood and with it being such a beautiful spring day we went for a walk. When we got there they were having a Woodlands Alive! event where they had traditional woodland crafts and skills such as willow crafts and coppicing. The RSPB were there and Thomas made a bird feeder fat ball thing. The picture above shows one of the many carvings in the wood and here is Percy Pocketbug having a rest with the Owl.

My favourite of the carvings is this one below, He's slightly off the main track so we had to hunt for him a bit. He's somewhat 'loved' now but still a worthy photo.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend, I'm off to finish a little pillow design I've been working on. Thanks for stopping by and reading. xx

My new little friend

Hey folks,

Well it's glorious day here which is so uplifting and adding a little crafty parcel popping through the letter box, the day doesn't get much better, (oh except the phone call from Mum to say she has brought cakes from our favourite patisserie for when we visit later) The down side is that my 22 month old daughter has chicken pox. I'll just have to make the best of the extra time at home and craft like mad.

Laura and I had an ATC swap and our swaps arrived today. Here is the ATC, I love floral designs so this cheerful design made me smile. On the back Laura has stamped 'If friends were flowers, I'd pick you.'

There was a liitle surprise in the parcel of this little Pocket Bug, So called as He is so sweet and called Percy (well until number 1 son changes it). So keep your eyes peeled for Percy's adventures over the coming weeks.

Here is the ATC I sent Laura. I was flicking through some old mags looking for designs for some other projects when I stumbled on this blackwork fairy alphabet. I've stitched from it before but I knew it would be perfect for Laura. I changed the gold to a lilac metallic and lilac seed beads as I know Laura is a bit of a purple person. I think it's my favourite ATC I've stitched so far.

Lastly a few more makes for Black Pear makes. Max the dog, Ruby the Elephant, and a little car keyring.

Thanks for stopping by and reading, Have a lovely weekend where ever you are. xx

ATC's, seaside exchange and Union Jacks

Hi Everyone,

I hope today finds you all well my friends. My Postie has been busy bringing me more lovely crafty post. I recieved my February ATC's from the two Bubble groups. Heather's group had an open theme as usual and I recieved the floral one and the fish from that. Lorraine's Group was an open theme for 2 cards and Luck of the Irish for the single card. So here they are, more welcome additions to my box. It'll soon be time to do the March ones and I'm thinking there will be several Easter ones.

I showed you the Lighthouse I made for the seaside exchange. Here is the gorgeous Lavender filled sachet I recieved from my partner Alison. It's fabulous and I LOVE beach huts. I will be hanging up today without fail.

I persuaded hubby to take me to Hobbycraft on Tuesday and had a little stock up. I picked up some ribbon, felt and a few buttons. We had a look round Webbs which is the Garden Centre that HC is in. they had some lovely gift ideas so I got a bit of inspiration thrown in too.

Once I got back from HC I worked on a couple of ideas for Black Pear I'd been designing. I love some of the Union Jack stuff that is about at the moment so here is my take on it - a hanging decoration and a keyring.

I've been coming up with lots more ideas so I'm going to have a day of experiments and making templates for the new ideas. Hopefully I'll have something to show you soon.
thanks for stopping by to read. xx

The launch...

Oh my do I have exciting things to share with you or what!!!

So firstly remember the lighthouse from my last post - well here it is all made up and ready to head off to it's new owner. Turned out quite well and with my love of lighthouses, I quite want to keep it for myself. It'd go rather nicely in my cloakroom...NO  must send it on it's way.

Right and on to my exciting news.

Black Pear Crafts is open for business!!! I decided it was high time that I gave selling a shot the other 11 months of the year. Yesterday saw me launch my facebook page and start building an Etsy shop, or rather Hubby did the computer stuff, I made shopping lists. He even designed a logo for my friend Kayla for her Facebook page. Today he gets the task of uploading the first 5 items to my shop. He might have to retake the photos if the light gets better and as my hands were a bit shaky.

The name Black Pear comes from an ancient pear variety grown locally for maybe up to 1000 years. It is featured on the City's Coat of Arms and Hubby and I came up with it whilst brainstorming names last week. Here's the logo he designed.

So here are yesterdays makes. Most were experiments on my hearts theme. The colours were chosen by my sister in law who may well be my first customer!

I love the pink and white heart, I think it's my favourite of all of them. I've felt cut for 3 more so I'll be trying more ideas out later. I'm trying to persuade hubby that a trip to Hobbycraft later is essential business research!

Well I'm off to add these pic's to FB, I'll add links in another post when I've got stuff in my Etsy shop. Thanks for reading and enjoy those pancakes today everyone. We've invited ourselves to Mum's as she makes great ones. xx





Almost the weekend...Yay

Hi Everyone,

So just a couple of little makes to show you all and fabulous, fabulous post. I work as a volunteer in a cafe and today we had the cafe managers daughter in helping for a bit as it was Half Term. She's only 11 but was brilliant so I made her a little keyring/bag charm to say thank you for all her hard work today.

I'm in the Seaside gift exchange on Bubble and the item is due to be sent next week. I stitched this little lighthouse last night. It's another of the Chart Shop freebies. I have no idea whatsoever to make it up into but best I make a decision by Sunday.

If you read my last blog I metioned that I won The Dotty One's Giveaway...Well here are the goodies. They are all totally fabulous. The pic doesn't do justice to the necklace. The Owl is very cute and the egg makes me smile it's so cheery. I'm going to dig out the pins and do what Dotty has done on her blog and give the Cacti spikes. I've borrowed the pic from Dotty's blog as her photography is much better than mine. (Hope you don't mind Dotty) Sometimes the the lack of natural lighting in our house makes me feel like I live in a cave.

Speaking of giveaways Laura is having one for her blogversary to win a very cute crochetted apple pot and snail and a bag of fab goodies.

Tonight will see me do a little more on the February biscornu. I'm hoping to get it finished tonight - well at least the actual stitching. I've so many idea, designs and thoughts swimming round in my head at the moment that I'm very excited. I always used to carry a pencil and notebook around and I really need to start doing that again. I keep having feltie designs and ideas for layouts for biscornu and ATC's rush into my head and nothing to put them down on. I love the creative process, right from that first thought when you think hmmm I wonder whether that'll work to seeing the final design and all the bits tin the middle.

Well time to get ready for work...It's going to be a long day. It's a good thing I love my work.

Valentines Day

Ok so I know that was yesterday but I won't tell you what time I finished Hubby's present last night. Lets say it made Valentines Day...just.

I made him a card, I'd not intended to make one, however when DS got struck down with Chicken Pox on Monday it put pay to me going out to get one. DS is very sad as he can't go to Holiday club this week with his friends and is missing play dates and a day out to the local Country Park to do one of their activity sessions.

So here is hubby's cards. Its a bit of freestyle embroidery on felt with our initals. There are 9 hearts in the design - one for each of the Valentines Days we've shared.

When you've all recovered from all that mushiness (bleugh). Here is the biscornu I made him. Hubby rather likes his dragons so this little design from CSC (Thank you Laura) with a little personalisation on the back. As the design was a central one a button for the middle wasn't right so I decided to put the little charms on the corners. He was over the moon with it, I said a few blogs ago that he wanted me to make him one and this seemed the perfect one for him.

And the bottom...

In other news I had a fabulous parcel from Laura yesterday too. It has a lovely little cross stitch kit, ribbon, stickers, gorgeous brads and a little bag of buttons and charms, I love the angel and cupcake charms, so sweet!

Here are all the buttons and charms. The top right charm on the biscornu was also in the bag...came just in time for the biscornu and fitted in perfectly.

I also won a giveaway on The Dotty One's blog, so those goodies will be with me soon and believe me they are amazing.  This week is turning in to a pretty good week for post as I have that to look forward to along with the ATC swaps.

I hope you had a wonderful Valentines Day, I stitched whist eating my box of chocolates from hubby and watched Gilmore Girls. Thanks for stopping by.

travelling Craft Box

There was me thinking yesterday that I hadn't got much to show you, then it dawned on me that now that Lori ha recieved the box that I can reveal what I added to it. I showed you in an earlier post what lovely things I took out, so here's what I put in before I sent it on it's merry way.

I won't do close ups of everything as you can see quite clearly most things. The purple pansy is a brooch and is the one I shared yesterday. The purple and green flower is a wire mesh ribbon brooch. I put in one of the cupcake pincushions too and a heart decoration. I enjoyed doing a coloured one for a change.

And so to the close ups... The bookmark was from an old WOXS Design Library featuring Indian themed designs.

Next is this yellow biscornu. I forget where the design came from now. The original design was only for the middle bit. I added the outer edge border to make the biscornu a better size.

 

And here's the bottom, just a simple bit of wording to mark where it came from.

So here is the next biscornu. It's the middle bit from the Rhodes butterfly design on Kincavel Krosses. I ended up stitching this twice as the first one didn't come out square, nothing to do with mis-counting but the fact the aida blocks weren't square. I'm going to make it into a sachet/mini cushion at some point so it won't go to waste.

And the back... I'm glad I brought those charms now and the varigated thread strikes again!



Here's the bag charm/keyring. The design is the same both sides and is from another WOXS design library - I think the Blackwork Jewels one.

Well tomorrow is valentines day and I've been busy making him a little present. I'll stitch him a card too if I have time. He liked the patchwork hearts I did for the ATC's so I might to a bigger version. I'll share this with you all in the week. nothing like leaving it until the last minute eh?! It's ATC swap week and I'm looking forward to some crafty post later this week with my swapped ones.

Just in case you think I've forgotten about the February biscornu, It's a work in progress lets say. I managed another hour on it yesterday and I would guess another 2 - 3 hrs stitching and then the making up. It's one I've designed myself and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. I've been so busy with makes to meet deadlines, I'm going to meet myself coming backwards soon.

Hoepe you all have a good week. Thanks for reading. xx



Felt-tastic!

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are well on this chilly day. I've got a couple of makes and a bit of stash shopping to share with you all today.

Yesterday we had a trip up to Birmingham for my Father In Law's birthday. I made him this little coaster from a chart I found in the freebie section of the Chart Shop. I've downloaded a few charts from there lately, The violet ATC I made last week was from there too. Unfortunatly the picture hasn't come out very clearly.

Whilst visiting the Inlaws, my MIL gave me some felt she had rescued from the school she works at. It was going to be thrown out so she saved it for me.

We stopped off at Hobbycraft on the way home and I brought more felt!!! I was missing a couple of colours from my collection, ones I know I can't get locally so stocked up a bit. I also picked up a cute little Mouseloft kit and some mini card blanks too.

I also picked up these very cute bows in town in the week. They are so sweet and will work fantastically for my Great Britain and Royal Wedding themed ATC's I have coming up in a couple of months. I know a certain blogger who will be coveting these! They are by Docrafts and there are some fab papers, buttons and ribbons in the range too.

Finally I've been making some little felt brooches. The pansy design is from the latest Womans Weekly craft special and were designed as hair slides but I think they make fab brooches too.

 And this version too...

And finally this one which is part of a necklace design although slightly adapted from a back issue of a WW craft special. I'm going to attempt the necklace too now that MIL has fixed my sewing machine.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my waffle, please leave me a comment, even if it is just a Hello.

Have a good weekend friends. xx

I'm a lucky girl!

Well todays post was a joy to recieve, two fabulous parcels filled with crafty gems and not a bill in sight!

I was very lucky to win the giveaway on Steph's fantastic blog. I recieved these gorgeous Chinese New Year goodies. We love oriental dragons in this house so this is a very welcome addition to our dragon family. I love the little Feltie sooo much! Steph even put in a lovely little bag of charms too. There is a little toadstool one that I love and one that says someone special that I want to use for hubby's valentines present. THANK YOU SO MUCH STEPH!!

And here's the dragon close up.

And here are the gorgeous charms.

And there's more...the second parcel contained this lovely delicate bracelet from Laura and an Owl ATC. Laura knows I love blackwork so this is a welcome addition to my little ATC collection. THANK YOU LAURA!!

I finished this months ATC's for the two Bubble swaps. One was themed Luck of the Irish and the other was up to me so I decided on a rather broad purple theme so here they are. They're in the post now along with the patchwork hearts ones and I'm looking forward to getting my return ones later in the month.

That's all from me, I'm off for a cuppa and to make a little biscornu for the travelling box. Thanks for reading. xxx

bits and bobs, this and that

The snow has started to melt so that will leave one disapointed 6 yr old. He had a new sledge for Christmas and was desperate to use it. Oh well, will pray for another good snowfall to cheer him up.

There still isn't much I can show you that I have made as I've been crafting alot for the travelling box. I finished another lovely stitched item last night. I've now made 6 things for the box and have another couple in mind, incase at the last minute I decide that one more of Laura's amazing creations needs to live here. I have however decided what I want to keep from the box. It was very hard as everything was fabulous, especially the Ami's. Laura's blog has pic's of everything she made for the box here. I've chosen 6 things to live here and they are these...

I decided to let the children chose an item each and my Son chose this wise old owl and my daughter the super cute bunny. Here they are getting aquainted with my little Ami family.

Being the biscornu addict that I am it was inevitable that I would choose this beautiful biscornu. It's in my favourite colour and on sparkly aida too. Here's the front.

And the back. It says Craft box - swop 2012 - made by - Laura.

Here it is in it's new home. I think I need a bigger bowl as there are 12 in there at the moment.

I love this lipsalve cosy, with the funky flower button, perfect for this kind of weather. The crochetted brooch is pretty.

I've 2 crochetted brooches that I've recieved from Laura already, although credit has to be given to Laura's Mum for those. Now I have a Laura special too.

I love to read (at the moment it's Agatha Raisin and the busy body by MC Beaton) so the felt bookmark is a welcome addition to my bookmark collection as it's not uncommon for me to have 2 or 3 books on the go at once, especially if I happen to be reading another author and Mum passes me another MC Beaton book shes finished, I generally can't keep them waiting long. She brought 5 in The Works yesterday so that will keep me busy. With the bookmark you will see the little phone charm that was in the bonus bag that Laura had put in for us to take one of for each of us taking part. My son chose the teapot as in his words "you work in a cafe serving tea so now everyone will know your job".

Speaking of The Works, whilst in there yesterday I had to look at the craft stuff and they were selling off the the metal charms for a ridiculous price so naturally I brought these, now not that I particularly needed any but they will come in very handy and worked out about 5p a charm.

In other news I've been making ATC's, designing 2 biscornu and planning a birthday present for my Father in Law's birthday next week. Boy, am I going to be busy this week. I hope you're all keeping warm with lots of crafting.

Hugs Kerry. xxx