A pinch and a punch... hopefully no returns!

  Happy Beltane, or Mayday, if you prefer. I cannot believe we are here already! I guess alot of it is because I now have a weekly routine of trundling to the Bluebirds Market on a Tuesday and everything else revolves around that lately. It's amazing how quickly a week goes by... 

  Always busy, I made 7 journals last month, and tried to finish my butterfly rucksack, but it has sat next to me on the sofa while I get on with other bits like embellishments for the journals.. it's been lovely, 4 of the journals were commissions, and have all safely arrived with their new owners who are very happy, which in turn makes me happy! Echoes sold yesterday too, so I shall have to make another creamy vintage journal soon.

  I've also managed to get some work in a handmade shop in Canterbury, Whitefriars Food and Craft Market so we'll see how that develops, Canterbury is very busy with lots of students and tourists, so fingers crossed. I just need to make a few extra bits to test run over there.. some larger dreamcatchers and a new textile accessory range, based around my collaged textile pieces. Where am I going to find the time?

  I shall finish the rucksack tomorrow, then I plan for a quilted messenger bag with some of the remnants. Then onto creating one of each of the expanded textile range, and creating the first wedding album cover... looking forward to that..

  So, busy, busy, watch this space- I can't promise I'll get time to post much, time gets less each week, which is great really, but I will be posting more fabric dying techniques, my monthly beading/ quilting block and all my swaps over in the Friends' Gallery, etc

 

More butterflies and journals

Over the last few months I've developed what was a one-off collage in a frame into a range of Artist journal/ sketchbooks... I knew getting the Cinch was going to cause problems!

Here are a few in the latest colours, I work each set in fours so they really are unique...

These are hearts and butterflies, I've also tried blinging a couple with little gems, what do you think?  I need to make some more now as I've just got a spot in a shop in Canterbury, which hopefully will be quite popular... watch this space!

Eac of these contain over 40 pages of mixed artist paper such as watercolour, pastel, cartridge, black and tracing paper. Perfect for mixed media artists who love using more than one medium. Each little section is separated with some gorgeous hand-made paper in coordinating colours. 

I'm also taking orders for these with a name added within the design, how special is that? Check them out on Etsy...

Rainbows and Dreamcatchers

My word, it's happened again- 2 weeks gone by without a post... shame on me! As a means of excuse I have been busy though, completing Etsy orders and a few from our Tuesday marketplace. Here's a few peeks at finished work as a catch up...

 

 A textile covered journal in my favourite colour combo wending it's way to the US as I type....

Another rainbow journal commissioned as a child's memory book... so sweet! 

I've enjoyed making a rainbow so much I think I'm going to make myself one for my Large Moleskine, yummy!

Isn't it funny how things run in groups? Two orders for rainbow coloued journals, and  two orders for two-tone dreamcatchers ...

Purple and silver, lots of amethyst, my favourite combo- not keen on the gold... This one was great fun to make as I played with the wire in a different way... no two are ever the same, that's what I love about making One Of A Kinds, no duplicates. I'm going to start adding wire names to my wedding dreamcatchers... I'm already doing names on my beaded flower memorial frames so why not...

and what about this cute little dreamcatcher for a girl's room... pink and green, with unakite, pink howlite and rose quartz

That's not all I've been up to, but I'll leave that for another post...

Rucksack heaven...

I spent last week, on and off, creating another quilted backpack. My skull fabric arrived and I spent the weekend sewing and fraying the squares... then Monday and Wednesday were spent making the bag. Much as it takes a while, the fraying is one of my fave bits, it's kind of meditative really! Plus I end up with a pile of threads that can be used in later projects...

Here's the finished bag, 

 

I finished this one differently- I used D-rings and a long strap for the  closure. After making a key-fob for the Coffee bag I've decided to do that for all of them, assuming I can scrape enough fabric together. I do like how it's turned out, and will be making another one very soon with more red and a different skull fabric...

I haven't got a great pic yet so I've not listed it on Etsy yet, but it will be there soon! 

Who's for coffee?

For those of you that know me you will understand how irresistable it was to buy a certain selection of prints that featured coffee..  mmmmmm...... Kona....

and what did I decide to do with them? Well, patchwork of course! I thought that using my patchwork batik bag would be a suitable pattern for this collection. I do have two other designs, but they have more colours in them and didn't look right together, so they'll be a later project.

I spent a very happy weekend cutting squares, sewing them together... all in the same fashion as my tutorial...  quilting them to wadding and then hours of fraying the edges, I much prefer this look to a straight seam, much more character, but it does take some time!

By Monday I could get going on the actual bag... by Tuesday I could add the finishing touches, like cording, charm and matching keyfob. Oh, and this time I added quilted pads on the straps, as per my daughters suggestion.

Would you like to see how it turned out? 

I love how it turned out... and to feel it, thick and quilted, it's lovely, I'll be sad to sell it really, but to Etsy it will go. On to a gothy skull bag next, as soon as the prints arrive! 

A little pressy... for you!

Time has gotten by me again! Busy, busy, busy! Lots to be blogging about, but little time to blog- oh the irony. A sneak peek at what I'm making this week following shortly...

 In the meantime, a little present to all my friends, both old and new, 

type

LOVEMUM2013

in the checkout at my Etsy store for a 15% discount on all my OOAK items and gifts, until March 9th.

 ENJOY!!!

 

 

 PS- I've also started adding items to my shop page on Facebook, some very special pieces, many never to be repeated, a few at a very reduced price- pop over for a bargain designer item.

Market and make its...

Where does the time go? I keep planning to do a new post, then get caught up making listings or liking some great shops on Facebook... That's not to say I spend all day on the laptop- nooo! I do get a little bit of work done too!

I'm halfway through a selection of items in my collaged textiles so I thought I'd show you my process... As I've mentioned before I make each piece on a 12 x 14" base, so once it's used up, that's it- totally unique and utterly limited. 

It takes a good few hours to cut and layer scraps of fabrics, plastics, punchinella, wool, or whatever feels right, and interweave it with embroidery and machining in different stitches and colours. Once it's finished the hardest thing is to decide what to use it for... if  I'm planning a backpack I need to take that first because it takes most of the piece, from there I choose items according to what I can squeeze out of it.. a needlecase, pincushion, and if there's any left, maybe a dongle cover or keyring...

I spent yesterday at the Dover Bluebird Market, and as usual I took along some pieces to work on, all cut, prepped and ribbons, buttons and pages chosen.

Here's what I  managed to get done...

 

So here they are,2 new needlecases, 7 keyrings and a pincushion...  2 more cases to go, sew in the pages and they'll be ready. Next I have to finish  a waistcoat... watch this space!

Valentine Friends Dreamcatchers

It's coming up for Valentine's Day, and I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of perpetuating  profits and growth  ideals of large stores and card companies... I want to give something because I want to- not because I'm told I'm obliged to! Thankfully my hubby agrees, so we just do our own thing. Having said that, I also don't believe it has to be restricted to partners... if you love someone, say so!

With that in mind, and the fact I love making dreamcatchers of all sizes, I thought I'd make some special little ones with a charm for each friends favourite hobby- or animal!

Here's a pair... 

complete with a ball of wall and knitting needles, and a few gorgeous pieces of garnet and red jasper. It's kind of sent me into a making spree so I have made others in various colours, with various charms over on Etsy. They're not all there, but if you're interested in something a little different, pop me a line- I might already have a set made up!

It's a cinch! really...

Having promised myself to scour high and low, internet and shop for a reasonably priced Cinch binder, I eventually found one a few pounds less than most, but with a bargain on coils to go with! So I did it... I ordered it, and it arrived Christmas eve so I didn't get to play with it until a few days ago... such frustration!

In the meantime my Big Bite had arrived, and being as compulsive as I am I had to play straight away...before friends arrived to stay... do you remember those really textural collage canvases I did  a while back? No? Here's a reminder...

I marked out the holes and spent an evening punching holes- what bliss compared to using a rotary leather punch! It is truly easy to use, I highly recommend it, and great for difficult places. My only issue is the depth of gap between the punch and base... by the time I put the canvas board in place I could not see my markings so some were slightly out of place... which, if you're a perfectionist like me, is completely horrible and unacceptable. (Still, I have the Cinch now, so not an issue for book cutting)

I had wanted to make some spiral bound artist journals with the set of canvases, and to make them truly unique I have filled them with a mix of papers, coloured hand-made papers to match the cover, water-colour, pastel, black, cartridge, card and charcoal papers- 4 or 5 of each in these 40 page journals.

Yellow- floral series, 40 mixed artist papers

Here's how they turned out- I'm really happy with them so I'll be putting them on Etsy and Creative Stores soon.

My Book, purple, 40 mixed artist papers journal

My Book, pink, 40 mixed artist papers journal

I still have to put papers in the green, red and blue books, but that won't take long at all. 

From then on I shall be using the Cinch to make the holes- and it also cuts through the canvas boards beautifully, making my life so much easier, hooray, more time to play!

PS. there's still a 15% discount on my Etsy stock if you type in NEWYEARSALE2013 at the checkout, but only until the 15th January, so grab a unique bargain now!

New Year 2013

Well we made it through the end of the world, christmas and now new year, so I guess I ought to make those resolutions now!

May this year be a year of reflection and action towards conservation and preservation... we escaped it this time, but we are responsible for the state of the planet.. so I shall keep up my recycling and add a few extra good deeds if I can...

I promise to be more sociable-I've hidden in my house all year and it's probably not doing me any good...

I will complete all the projects I begin this year! and I will do tutorials for more of them too...

I will lose some weight, quite a bit if possible, the more the better for my health...

I will start making xmas stock in July because October is just too late!

Have I missed anything?  Oh yes, I'll be grateful every morning that I wake up breathing, and my family are happy and safe... and that my camera still works!

Here's hoping that your 2013 is what you would wish for, be happy, have fun... and create, create, create!

PS, I'm having a New Year Etsy sale, so type in NEWYEARSALE2013 for a 15% discount across the shop! Enjoy!

Moleskine Journal Adventure continued...

After my introduction to Moleskine journals, having purchased a letter-sized Cahier for a commission, I decided to use up the second book which has the same designer cover, but in a different colour- orange. So I took that as a starting point for the design for this one. It hasn't been commissioned, this will be a ready-made, buy as-is.

I love blue and orange together, being opposite colours they really bounce off each other creating real impact. I searched my stash of papers to create the title page first- not normally the way I work, usually it's the collage first. I found some great orange and blue papers and flowers...

Working from the title page I chose an abundance of blue, orange and pink fabrics and began to layer up...

Each layer is built of with different stitches and coloured threads, fabric, plastics, wools, angelina, paper, canvas... whatever feels right and looks right. 

Once all the elements are secure and a few contrasting stitched patterns are in place I can add the central ribbons for the spine.

I always make an extra smaller square at the same time, some of this is used for the closure and the bookmark tabs, the rest is kept as reference. Add the closure and ribbons, then add the pocket for the inside front. Once all that is complete I can measure and sew up the bottom and top for a snug fit.

I always add some extra elements, often beads and charms, but I've had this butterfly crying out to be used since I diecut it, and it's a perfect compliment for the cover and copper lettering inside. Add a little crochet flower, the bookmarkers and velcro, line the inside opening with matching poly-cotton, and ta-da, she's all done! All ready for Etsy and Creative Stores...

Perfect and in time for a christmas pressie....

Christmas Pressie Rucksack

Lol, I'm making good headway with the pre-xmas creativity... Last week I started another rucksack, with a personal theme this time. I have photo canvas that runs though a printer so I chose a few relevant photos, funked them up a little with my favourite software and printed them out as features on the flap.

I used the same process for the bag as in my tutorial in the how-to section, adding pockets, loops etc before joining the base, then bodies together. Every now and again I have a eureka moment and find a new little trick to make it quicker, stronger or easier so I should do an update for the tutorial too.

This is an upcycled bag too! The canvas is actual artist canvas that has been worked on- it was an enormous piece but it cuts up beautifully into little abstract pieces. It sews beautifully too, strong but flexible.

Here's a closeup of  the flap, I love adding and adding the bits, watching it buildup into a little work of art, I never start with a plan, I let the design develop as it will... 

As you can see the owner to be is a horsy girl, with a thing for cats too... she doesn't know this is coming, I'm just sad to know I won't see her face when she opens it...

Just putting the finishing touches to it now...

Moleskine Journal Adventure in Pinks

I can't believe it's Thursday tomorrow already... and I've not got half of the things done that I wanted. I did  however get an order on Etsy for one of my textile collaged books. After a bit of bantering I finally opted for moleskines as a base for further journals and ordered a letter sized cahier to see how they looked. 

I've also got some Volants coming soon, in an A5 size.

Pricing is always difficult- if I added up how long I actually spent working on the books and cover minimum wage, I'd have to charge upwards of £70.00- not going to happen! I might have to up them a little bit though... £30.00 doesn't cover the first days work. Oh the trials of being an artist.

Anyway, here's a peek at the Book of Shadows, created for Karen. 

 I'll be shipping it off to the US tomorrow, I hope it doesn't take too long to get there, and I hope she likes it.

I spent some extra time today making a title page for another journal, in blues and orange, I'll make the cover tomorrow and list it on Etsy as a ready-made, hopefully someone will snap it up for Christmas.

Dreamy dreamcatching...

I did want to get some more sewing done this week, but as Xmas is looming and I want to be prepared, and the call of beads was getting too great, I decided to get busy with some of my dreamcatchers... Over the years I've made them in all sizes; for car mirrors, wedding decoration/presents, window decs, anniversary pressies and  decorations... but this year I thought I'd expand my Christmas collection a bit. I've got a fair selection of charms that I've not used yet... so that's what I'm using...

Wiccan; sun with opal, goldstone and beads

General; heart, jade,coral and beads

Wiccan; pentacle, amethyst and beads

Xmas; flake, tourminated quartz

Xmas; deer, amber and beads

I've listed a few on my shop on Etsy, already packaged up, but I also make commissions using requested gemstones, colours and charms, whatever your needs, just email to chat about it- no obligation!