NEC Sewing for Pleasure...

= STASH!!!!!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, illness in the family and the lack of crafting means I've just not had anything to share so I'm hoping my trip to the NEC on Thursday will give me lots of inspiration and the boost my crafting needed.

I went with my friend Liz and we decided to do some workshops too. I did wire coiling and needle felting with one tutor and made a fabulous fabric brooch/corsage with another.

so here is my lovely, lovely stash.

The heap of fibres are in preparation for a technique Liz is going to teach me so I can use for making stuff for Black Pear, I really fancy a go at Decopatch, so I got a few blanks and some papers for that. The usual aray of buttons, charms, ribbons and other embelishments for the ATCs. I did have another lovely strip of ribbon but I've lost it somewhere (sniff sniff). I also brought the bits I needed to get started in needle felting. So below are the colied beads I made and my two first needle felted beads. I loved doing those and I'm looking forward to making something with them.



Here is my brooch as far as I got with it, despite a few sewing machine issues we were able to get started. there wasn't enough time to get it done but I plan to get it finished over the coming week and maybe try another one. The design brief was:

ALL PINNED TOGETHER

Machine stitching onto a background of Angelina and painted fabric, edge stitched then beaded and manipulated into an individual and unusual brooch.

The angelina was fab to work with and I've already made my next sheet of it ready for another design and had a go at the fusing with rubber stamps. It hasn't come out very well in this pic and it's still sat on the baking parchment.

I've just found a couple of pics from last week of the lovely display stand my friend Clare gave me. You can see my latest makes, the 3 dogs, Violet, Dot and Spot

I hope you are all enjoying this glorious weather, we went for another walk in the local woods with the in-laws today and saw a Buzzard and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. It felt lovely to blow the cobwebs out and the children have been loving playing in the garden too.

Well time for bed, especially as the clocks go forward,  I'm at work most of tomorrow, but at least I have plenty of crafting time whilst I'm there. I'll be finishing Laura's ATC's for our little monthly swap.

Take care folks and thanks for reading. xxx

 

Blog awards

Hi Everyone,
Sorry for being so remiss in passing on these lovely blog awards that I've had recently. Thank you to Laura, MsStitcher, Steph and MaryJoan for thinking my blog was up to par. xx

Here are the rules:

1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
4. Share five random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.

So, I am passing the blog award on to:

1. Jordan at In it to knit it
2. Dotty at The Dotty One
3. Lori at Hippywitch crafts
4. Catherine at catherines sewing corner
5. ...sorry I'm really not sure as it would have been one of lovely ladies who kindly gave me this award

as for random things about me...

1. I have a collection of antique glass dressing table sets.
2. My favourite flowers are Yellow Roses, Irises and Freesias.
3. I'm a huge Formula 1 fan. (and I'm sat watching the Malaysia quali now)
4. I love Giraffes and have 2 five foot wooden ones in my lounge.
5. My favourite kind of music is punk/rock by bands such as Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Clash and The Jam.

Thanks for reading and my next post will be all about my day out at the NEC for the Sewing for Pleasure show.

New Black Pear makes

Hi Folks
I can't believe it's been a week since my last post and it's taken me this long to acually complete a project. here are a couple of makes I did for Black Pear.

First is a roon sign, appliqued with a Thomas Tank engine and personalised for my Son.

And here is a little phone case I made inspired by a bookmark that was in the travelling craft box by Laura.

I've been having a bit of a craft drought where despite so many ideas I can't seem to get anything done. I'm planning on finishing my ATC's tonight for the swaps, or more to the point starting them! I've got my Mum's birthday in just under two weeks and I have a biscornu half done for her. So many projects, so little time. I did have my first sale as Black Pear and sold Max the Dog (yay!) So I need to make a new one now.

Thanks for reading. xx

More biscornu and Crafternoon

Hi Everyone,
How are you all this Sunday afternoon? It's a wet old day here and I've gotten wet twice already going back and forth to Church so now I'm home I'm all ready to craft. But what is the question..? Whilst I have a think I'll fill you in about the Biscornu exchange and also how I got on with my Crafternoon.

I had a beautiful biscornu through the post from Ivory and a lovely card too. It really brightens up my biscornu bowl. I love the way Ivory has used a clear button to show the stitching right up to the centre. Here's the top...

And the bottom.

Here is the one I made for Ivory, I remembered she liked purple so I used a pale lilac mottled aida and a dark purple thread to do this blackwork design from an old WOXS. The blackwork garden design library has become a bit of an old faithful and I've stitched a fair few of the designs from it. Here's the top...

And you've guessed it...the bottom! I beaded it in a mill Hill bead that I brought by accident ages ago hoping it would be a matt silver, but they are more of a pinky bronze colour. I knew they'd come in handy at some point!

And so to crafternoon. I was very, very nervous about how it would turn out but I was pleased with how it went. I was joined by 7 crafters doing a wide range of crafts, We had a Knitter, Card maker, 3 doing Decopatch, a lady doing a tapestry and me stitching. Everyone was very enthusiastic about it and we discussed what we wanted the group to be, about the future 'Crafternoons' and chatted at length about each others hobbies. I really want to try Decopatch now. 2 of the ladies had brought some of their finished work and I'd taken my biscornu collection and ATC's so we had a bit of a show and tell too.

Thanks for reading and leaving me comments. I love to read them and it really encourages me to carry on blogging. As for the what to craft question, I think I'll do a little something for Black Pear. xx

Biscornu madness

So here is the February biscornu in all it's glory. I finished it about 10.30 last night. All I can say good job it was a leap year other wise I'd have been late finishing it. It's been my work project for most of the month so I've only grabbed an hour or so a couple of times a week. It was a big design that I put together myself using motifs from Cross stitcher (top) and WOXS (bottom).

I took some photos before I stitched it up so here is the top. Each motif represents a family member born in that particular year - Hubby - Dragon, Me - Snake, Thomas - Rooster and Lottie -Tiger.



And the bottom. I decided to try just stitching the outlines of the Chinese symbols, I don't think it looks too bad. If WOXS are right it should say 'Happy New Year'.

And all stitched up and finished with a little Chinese charm.

And the bottom. I must say that I was worried about the amount of unstitched fabric on both sides but once it was made up and 'buttoned' I think it just keeps it simple.

So here it is with the 'family' in my biscornu bowl. As it's the biggest (62 x62 stitches), it's nestled at the bottom of the bowl along with the15 other residents of the bowl! We had a little visit from Percy Pocketbug too. I expect he'll pop back next week to see my new biscornu from Ivory when it arrives.

Lastly I just want to say a big welcome to my new followers, Thanks for stopping by to read my nonsense. I've decided to have another giveaway when I reach 100 posts so only 27 to go! I just need to decide what to make and get into gear as I'm guessing it'll be about May when I hit the 100.

Kerry. xxx