Saturday, 30 March 2013

Unfinished projects part 2


A very short tour of my miniature antiques shop:






..Unfortunately the dust is a bit more authentic than was intended originally! I bought this one room dolls house shop about 5 years ago, papered and painted it, and began turning it into an old fashioned style sweet shop, full of shelves and jars of colourful goods. I quickly changed my mind and decided it would better suit being an antiques shop, and had much more fun choosing items to put in it. When I left home for university, this stayed behind, and I never seemed to have time to finish it off. Recently I've been admiring a brilliant miniature version of the Bronte parsonage, and thought about recreating my own (when I can afford it!) Of course, I really should finish what I started before I attempt something else. So I am planning to add some lighting, re-wallpaper the inside and do something with the floor (perhaps carpet), and add a lot more furniture, to give it that overflowing effect of all good antiques shops! I may also re-paper the outside and try to give it a more weathered effect on the brickwork and perhaps add some moss, and, of course, add a name. 

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Unfinished projects and new motivation!

While trying to bring some organisation to my numerous storage boxes of 'crafty stuff', I realised just how many unfinished and unused items were there. Some projects were started never to be finished, other items I'd purchased with a specific idea in mind of what to do with them, others just bought on a whim and put away till an idea came to mind.

In an attempt to be more motivated, finish projects, and use all the odds and ends I have around, I've started to make a list of things to try to make use of. Those shown here are just the beginning - I can't believe I've amassed so many things that have just been forgotten about!



Hundreds of coloured pearly beads. These were bought with the intention of becoming something like the beautiful beaded necklaces made by Miss Imogen Smith, which I have long admired on her blog. I'd like to do something with these soon, not just because they are so lovely to not be used, but also to stop them spilling all over the place every time I open my button jar!


These colourful painted pegs I got from the craft store for about 50p after Christmas. I was intending to use them to make some kind of memo board for the kitchen. I also had some vague ideas that I'd cover them in pretty washi tape, as shown on Claireabellemakes's blog recently.



Both of these fabrics were bought with no idea at all in mind what to use them for, but purely because I love the prints. The boat print I used a little of to make fabric covered buttons, as the print was small enough to work for those. Perhaps the rest would make a nice summery book bag? The elephant print I very nearly bought in 2 other colours as well as red, just because I thought it was super cute. I didn't know what to use it for at the time, and have since thought I could use it to cover a notebook (as on the Crafty Creative's blog) - alas, more unfinished projects.

 

These fabrics were both destined to become skirts. The one on the right actually did become a skirt (an unfinished one, at least..), although I'm still left with quite a lot that I don't know what to do with.



I've never made jewellery before, but I definitely need to learn. Trips to the bead shop usually result in buying pretty charms, so I've got quite a few more bits and pieces around. Those shown are just from the last few Crafty Creatives boxes -While I love the boxes arriving every month, I so rarely get around to doing much with them, with the last 3 just stacked in a corner at the moment. I'd like to use these charms for something so I can feel like I'm getting my money's worth from the boxes!


So, there we have it, a few of the first things I need to get around to finishing. I wish there were more hours in the day - I haven't done much crafting over the last few weeks because of working so much, and my sewing machine hasn't come out for months. I'm going to try to stick to the Creatives Unite principle - set aside a couple of hours each week just for that purpose. Hopefully I will achieve something!

Sunday, 10 March 2013

This week...



...I've been making Easter nest cupcakes, thinking up tea puns for the work blackboard, doing some craftiness for PostCircle and writing letters, purchasing new stationary, reading books and visiting comic book shops :) 





Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Post Inspiration


After agreeing to participate in Miss Beatrix's PostCircle, I got to looking around for ideas and inspiration to make whatever I send look beautiful. This is a few ideas from Etsy that caught my eye - I love all the recycled decorative envelopes, especially those comic book ones <3

 The vintage typewriter is probably a bit over the top (and certainly beyond my budget!), but I have always wanted one - I can dream!



Small notecards - mini notec...
$6

30 Alice in Wonderland Notec...
$27

Set of 5 Highly Professional...
$12

Dollhouse Postcard Set - 10 ...
$18

Snow White Writing Set, Enve...
$15

Avengers Comic Envelopes / R...
$6.5

Deer Gold Plated Wax Seal St...
$20

Argyle Hearts Mailbox With M...
$12

Letter Writing Set Stationar...
$22

1920s Corona 4 Typewriter La...
$625

Botanical .. Estate .. UNuse...
$6.75

Easter Bunnies - 3 Assorted ...
$13.5

Washi Tape Set: Postal Air M...
$8

Handmade Hello Card and Enve...
$5.89

Vintage Music Sheet Stationa...
$12.5

Vintage Alphabet Stamp Set -...
$9.8



Vintage Tea Set



This is part of an exciting new acquisition - a beautiful vintage teaset, given to me by my nan. It's the first time I've had any nice cups and saucers that matched, all my others are odd mismatched ones (although all beautiful in their own way). They are lovely bright spring colours, and I'm looking forward to afternoon tea in my teacups and a slice of cake on my matching tea plates!


Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Crafty Creatives Box 8

CCBox8

Yesterday was Crafty Creatives arrival day! I'd almost given up waiting when it arrived at half four in the afternoon to much excitement! Hopefully by today everyone's has arrived, so I shouldn't be spoiling the surprise, but just in case you're still waiting, don't peek (like I did...)!





Spots and Stripes themed!

The box contents: 

*  The CC kit - Polymer clay and jewellery supplies with instructions to make a spotty heart necklace. I've never used polymer clay before, so this all new to me! I'll be giving it a go soon.

*  A very bright art card designed by Paul Heard.

*  20 stripey resin beads and a spotty glass bead.

*  Round nosed pliers and jewellery making supplies - again, I've never done anything like this so not sure what to do with them. The previous box also had a few jewellery making items - maybe the next one will move away from that a bit?

*  Stripey red and white string, reminds me of the seaside. Perhaps could be combined with CC's previous nautical themed box, which I sadly missed out on.

*  Stripey and spotty paper straws - not sure yet what I could use these for?

*  Green and white PVC fabric, and blue stripey cotton fat quarter (Again seaside-y).

*  Stripey tissue paper in purple, great for wrapping little gifts.

*  Pack of sticky foam dots, useful for sticking things in scrapbooks.

*  24 spotty cupcake cases. These will definitely be used, and very soon!

*  And the best last.. Cute purple spotty washi tape! I've developed a bit of an obsession with washi tape recently <3


This is my second box, and while I think the previous box (woodland themed) was more suited to me, I think it's because I'm just not sure what to do with a few of the things. Hopefully the Crafty Creatives blog will give me a few more ideas soon! 

Monday, 18 February 2013

Learning to Crochet



Sometime last year I watched a YouTube tutorial on crocheting a hat. What I ended up with was a very miss-shapen bright green beret too large for my head, and that was the end of my hat-making dreams. Recently, I've been inspired to give crochet another try by some friends who are currently working on granny square blankets, creating beautiful little patterned squares on thier lunch breaks at work everyday. So far, I have a little pile of squares which are all the same sort of pattern, after following this YouTube video. I'm not sure yet how to get different patterns and designs of squares, so I'll have to do a little more research and practice, but I'm happy with my progress so far!