Something with feathers...

I love having leftovers from my craft projects and then trying to create something from them.

And this time it was another fascinator!

And this time it is not for me but for my Etsy shop as it was looking a bit sad for itself.

The felt was left over from the mug cosy I made a couple of months ago and the feathers and metal heart were left over from some earrings I took apart to make the fascinator for my daughters naming ceremony...

I then experimented with how I wanted it to look... And then glued it all in place with silicone glue (something I have only recently discovered and now I can't get enough of it!) and then left it to dry.

And this is it!

Now on my etsy page!

Not just for Valentines...

One of the very first things I got given when I started crafting was 'Craft' by Kirstie Allsopp. I admire the way that she tackles every craft she tries with an eager enthusiasm.

This cute little project seemed quite a quick little one to do and didn't need more than some felt, a button, a short length of ribbon, some stuffing and some thread.

I tweaked Ms Allsopp's design a little by using polystyrene balls as stuffing (a huge bag of them still lives in my guest room!) I also didn't put a tassel on the bottom as I thought it might look better without it.

I have made a few of these since my first one. They make great gifts for someone you love - or just because you want to remind someone that even if it isn't Valentine's Day you still love them.

These can be found at my etsy shop too!

Heart to heart...

I love buying craft magazines. It is a bit of an obsession but I love flicking though them and gaining inspiration from their pages.

 I also, most embarrassingly, love the ones that have free gifts which come in kit form - I'm a real sucker for those!

 The latest idea came from 'Makes' from Prima - it had a make your own mouse on the front which completely won me over! I had some off cuts from the onesie that I had hemmed for my sister in a nice bright fleece material. I thought I could make some little fleece hearts which could then be strung together to create some heart bunting - something which could make a fireplace a bit more cosy.

 The hearts were easy enough to cut out and a button was sewn on with invisible thread. The hanging ribbon was part of my stash of off cuts which I usually snip off new clothes as I usually have them hanging out in strange places!

 Once they were sewn up I hung them up on the ribbon and pinned them on.

These little hearts went onto etsy - my husband said we had nowhere to to hang them ... To be fair to him he's probably right!



Etsy shop

A little bit of love...

My sister recently got engaged after many years of dropping less than subtle hints to her then boyfriend. I am genuinely delighted for her as I know she will enjoy the whole wedding planning thing - especially the trying in of wedding dresses as she has been dreaming of a wedding for at least the last ten years when our mum got remarried and she hoarded my mothers discarded wedding magazines for months afterwards!

I wanted to give them something that was unique for an engagement present that they would be able to put on a shelf in their new flat (which they hope will materialise in the coming months).

I have spent quite a few months experimenting with decoupage and papier mâché letters that you can get. I love letters that spell out words in a house (though I have been banned from having any of these in our house) so I give them to other people.

This particular set of letters came from hobbycraft and was boxed (but could be purchased separately).http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/hobbies/papier-mache/mache-letters-and-numbers

I gave them two coats of red acrylic paint. The papier mâché absorbs a bit of the paint and needs quite a thick layer so the brown doesn't show through. The next problem is how you leave them to dry. My advice is place them on a tiled surface that won't stain... I left mine on newspaper so had to go over the places where the newspaper had transferred on to the letters.

To give the letters a bit of a nice finish I lavishly brushed on some Mod Podge   which comes in all types of sheen such as Matt, gloss and shimmer. It is inexpensive for the amount of crafts it enhances and it especially great for sealing and for decoupage.
  I then left the letters to dry for 24 hours.
I am an impatient soul at times so this is probably the hardest bit for me!

When it is fully dry apply your sequin hearts. Mine came from pound land I think and around this time of year glitter hearts are ten a penny with it nearly being Valentine's day. I stuck the sequins on with super glue. Other glues would probably be suitable but I don't like to leave anything to chance.

Again leave everything to dry and hey presto! A 'Love' sign. An exciting and creative present or
valentines gift if you wish.

Please let me know if you try this. I will let you know if my sister likes it. Fingers crossed, she 
will!

Mod Podge link: http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/plaid-mod-podge-matte-8floz-236ml/569311-1001