Handmade Monday Week 5

Welcome to week 5 of handmade Monday organised by Wendy of 1stUniqueGifts where all of us crafty people can get together and show what we have been up to or what we are working on at the moment.
I have to admit i seem to have spent several hours on the computer this week rather than getting on with my makes.
I signed up to a new site called crafty-bitz run by Sarah from Dragonfly Jersey. She's hoping to turn the site into an online craft fair and basically all you need to do is sign up, load your album with photos of your makes and also links to your shops or websites so that people can find you.
Sarah achieved her 1st goal of 50 members this week and is now aimimg for 200.
I've also spent quite a bit of time "lurking" around the folksy forum and have picked up quite a few tips on promoting and selling yourself. Hoping to put some of what i have learnt in action very soon.

So back to my makes.
Well i managed to finish off the mobile phone cases earlier in the week. And then, at the weekend, i found a bit of time to start cutting up the lovely fabric i bought last week and make a couple of summer bags.
The colours are rather loud i know but i like that.
So let me show you the beginning of the project and hopefully next week i can show you the end result.
First i have cut out 2 bases and attached them to some wadding.

Then i cut the pelmets. I think both materials for each bag will compliment each other very well.

Here are the straps.

The linings.

And the first base stitched.

Hopefully i have left you looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Pop back next week and i will show you.

Thank you for popping by.

xxx

My Creative Space

I have noticed that Wendy from 1stunique gifts not only organises Handmade Monday weekly but also participates in My Creative Space on a Thursday organised by www.kootoyoo.com . I keep meaning to join in but always seem to be late. And i think the blog is Australian based so there are a lot of people getting in early because of the time difference. This week there were 176 participants!! No mean feat and congrats to the organiser as she has obviously built it up well. Here's hoping Wendy will have the same success eventually.
Even tho i didnt join in on Thursday i thought i would still do my own creative space post.

So here was my workspace last week!
Here were mobile cases sewn and waiting for inners.

Here are the inners.

And here is the final result!

Another little collection ready for my 2011 fairs.

Thanks for looking.

Until next time

xxx

Craftjuice Tuesday

BUTTONS
I am beginning to get a passion for buttons. Here is a lovely selection for this weeks craftjuice.
From Hodgepodgearts on Etsy



From Melissa at Totalarttsoul

From ShooglyBeads on Folksy

And look what you can do with them

From SwirlyArts on Folksy

Until Next Time

xxx

Handmade Monday Week 4

This week i have been to heaven!

Heaven to me comes in the form of my favourite fabric shop The Bramble Patch in Weedon.

If you ever want any of the fabric you see on my blog The Bramble Patch has an online shop containing all the material they sell.

So i had a £20 loyalty voucher to spend this week so i really treated myself to this lovely bundle of fabric.

Only thing is my head is now swarming with ideas of projects to do and i am now forcing myself to do one job at a time and complete all half finished projects before starting something new. So i put together the teddies from last week, plus i made a couple more so i have a collection now! I love them and they will be listed in my folksy shop over the next couple of days.

Next project i finished were the kids pin cushions that have sat on my work bench for a couple of weeks. My idea is to make a childs sewing bag and include a sewing kit, pincushion, needle case and possibly a small button bag. Watch this space for the finished article!

All sewing completed and now to try and get marketing again.
My new folksy shop CottonsAndDreams is looking a little sparce so i am attempting to add items on intermitant days this week as this keeps me near the front page with the hope that sales start coming in.

Today i have listed my old faithfuls the tooth fairy cushions. Big sellers at my fairs and such a brilliant idea. Wish i'd have had one when the boys were small instead of rummaging around under the pillow looking for that all illusive tooth!!!!

And that's all folks!!

Handmade Monday is organised by Wendy at 1stUniqueGifts ,and organised very well i might add!!

Please make time to pop along to her blog and check out all the other crafters joining in with this weekly item.

Until Next Time.

xxx

Handmade Monday Week 3

Welcome to week 3 of Handmade Monday organised by Wendy of 1stuniquegifts. I seem to be a lot later posting than most people but i have just got home from work and a little detour via Hobbycraft!! But i'm here now!
Happy valentines, by the way, to all you lovlies. I received the lovely flowers below so i was happy!
If you read my previous post in the week you will know that my constant companion to all my fairs last year (photo below) finally made the front feature page of Folksy this week and within a couple of days sold! It was hard letting her go and as i wrapped her up had a "Toy Story" moment imagining her coming to life and wondering where she was being shipped off to!!

Then to my shock,horror and suprise i got a message from someone wanting a mobile phone cover (below). My second folksy sale in a week!

So back to handmade Monday and my decision to start a new era of the teddy now that all 3 of the originals have been sold. Below are my first 3 in the making. Hopefully they will be sitting up and smiling at you next week.

And finally a little sneak preview of a little lady i have made for Francesca of Silverthistle Beads

who won a competition that i ran on the craft forum. She will be going in the post tomorrow.

Until next time.

xxx

Waving ByeBye To My Teddy Finally!

Pink Teddy with Stars
Originally uploaded by dreamstar1904

I know i should be ectastic that i received a sale on Folksy today but at the same time i feel a little sad : (
This little ted was my last of the original 3 i made last year and has travelled to each craft fair i attend and lovingly packed away at the end. She is my avatar on the craft forum and this week have put her photo on my new business cards i have ordered.
I love her.
Having said that it feels like the start of something new today and i will pack her up and send her off to someone who will hopefully love her as much as i have.

Now time to create some more i feel .

xx

Craftjuice Tuesday - ACEO's

Welcome to this weeks craftjuice Tuesday.
This weeks subject is ACEO's.
So what is an ACEO?
In short, collectable pieces of art always measuring 2.5ins by 3.5ins but created in any medium, paint,pencils,inks and now wood,fabric, clay etc.
Their size is of importance as it's the size of a standard trading card.
They can be displayed on mini easels, or hung or even just collected and stored in albums.
Not something i would probably collect myself but some on craftjuice have certainly caught my eye recently.
Below are my favourites this week.

PANTSANDPAPER on Folksy has a few ACEO's in her shop. Pop by and take a look and while there have a look at all her items. By far my most favourite shop on Folksy.

Another lovely fabric designed ACEO by Bodkinandbead again on Folksy.

This one has a rather nostalgic feel to it with an old fashioned printed photo,vintage buttons and ribbon. Anyone for tea? This tea pot is one out of a set of 5. Check out Handcrafted ACEO's on folksy for the other designs.
Love daisies. Love the colours of the meadow.

LOVE this Daisy Meadow ACEO by Lynnwoodcrafts on Folksy.

And finally this campervan is absolutely brilliant by Beadsbydesign. It can be found her shop on on Folksy under her shop name Ra RA Bazaar along with some other lovely pieces

Thanks for popping by.

Until next time.

xxx

Handmade Monday Week 2

Well it's week 2 of Handmade Monday organised by Wendy of 1stuniquegifts. After last weeks success we are all returning with more handmade goodies to show you and hopefully a few more people will be joining us. All participants' links can be found over on Wendy's blog.
Can i also just say a big WELCOME to my 10 new followers. Makes it all worth while when you start to realise people are popping by to see what you have been up to.

So following on from yesterdays post here is my new MUM cushion with the flowers that Krysia lovingly cut out for me and the patchwork scraps left over from the bag i made last week.
I was chuffed to use my machine to write all the wording, finally i am using it to it's full potential, tho the grey material has a white thread running thru it and i think i positioned the writing incorrectly thru the line so it may need to be sold as a second. I didn't realise how bad it looked until it was all put together and then didnt have the heart to undo it all. Using Krysia's flowers again i put them on a new phone case to embellish. I think they really add a lovely finish. The button i have made with fimo. Another thing i'm attempting to learn at the moment!

Have used a mixture of my red scrap material for this mobile phone cover.

2 more phone cases cut out and ready to sew.

Another of my favourite fabric flower brooches.

And this is what i'm working on the moment but still needs some tweeking.

Following on from the success of the gingerbread men at christmas i'm attempting to make a few of these smaller ones with chef hat and apron and hopefully holding a sign saying "Special Mum" and putting a magnet on the back.

The hats have come out ok but the apron is looking messy at the moment so i need to tidy them up a bit. Will hopefully have a finished product to show you next week.

Thanks for popping by and dont forget to have a look over on Wendys blog if you have the time.

Until next time.

xxx

Sparkly Shoes

Leading up to tomorrows handmade Monday i have decided today to promote a new friend that i have made on the craft forum, of which i am an active member.
About a month ago Krysia (Aka SparklyShoes) put a post on her blog titled Make Do and Mend demonstrating how she had patched up an old pair of jeans with some lovely star patches cut by her "bigshot" machine

Curious to find out more about this machine i got intouch with Krysia.
She told me it was a magical machine! A pasta type machine with a handle that you turn. You get 2 perspex flat things with it, add a die (which is your shape cutter), add your fabric and turn the handle and hey presto the machine cuts out these lovely shapes!
Still curious i asked Krysia if she would cut out some designs for me if i sent her some felt.
Below is a small selection of what she returned to me.
I love them!
Not wanting to waste them i am taking my time deciding what to use them on but if you pop by again tomorrow i may just show you where i have used my first flower!

Krysia makes "Unique Handmade Accessories For Your Littlies And You"

She can be found on Folksy http://www.folksy.com/shops/kryshees and also has a lovely blog if you fancy taking a look http://kryshees.blogspot.com/

Below is just a small sample of what you can find in her folksy shop

GREEN HIPPO TOY BASKET/BABY HAMPER

SPRING GREEN SPOTTY & CORD PATCHWORK BLANKET

RETRO FLOWERS CHANGEMAT/PLAY BLANKET

Thanks for popping by.

Until next time

xxx

Craftjuice Tuesday

Welcome to Craftjuice Tuesday.

This week i have picked 3 different catagories on Craftjuice and picked my favourite from each catagory.
From the bead section are these lovely lavender polymer clay beads made by Shoogly Beads on Folksy. This link will take you directly to their folksy shop.
From the glass crafts section a gorgeous pale pink soap dish by bprdesigns being sold on Etsy
There are lots of lovely other colours too.

And finally in the wood section i fell in love immediately with this bird house made by birdhouseblessings. Would be a lovely feature in any garden.

Thanks for popping by.

Until next time

xx