A Bit Of A Change

In the run up to Christmas I started a new blog called Christmas Creative.  It was a real inulgence and took up quite a lot of time.  With the orders, events etc and Christmas Creative, I neglected this blog and left it gathering dust.
Now Christmas is over and I've laid the dust sheets on Christmas Creative for a while, I am coming back to this blog enthused and ready for a challenge and a bit of a change.
I am going to bring over some of the things I did  on CC and that appeared to go down well there.  I will be showcasing lots of work from other crafters and also having lots of craft tutorials in the hope that you will all feel really inspired too.

Pete Postlethwaite

Pete Postlethwaite has died peacefully in hospital in Shropshire.  My favourite film of his was Brassed off.  Here he is in one of the defining moments of it.

No Salt ~ Crafting Disaster

In the run up to Christmas like many crafters, the weather conspired against me.  I'd been planning, making and sorting lots of events, creations etc for the christmas period.  Then the snow came, seeing event after event cancelled and those that were actually taking place with significantly reduced foot fall.
I was then further conspired aginst when I went shopping to get supplies to create the salt dough greetings and nativities I had taken orders for.  The shops had no salt!  I went to supermarket after supermarket and couldn't get any because they's sold out for ice fighting!
It was with great reluctance that I finally gave up the search and let clients know that their nativities and greatings would not be arriving.
Next year I will start buying salt in September!

Craft Tutorial ~ Make Paper Flowers

Glorious Light

In the run up to Christmas, one of our music group discovered this piece of music in her stash.  We've all loved singing it and have looked around the internet for video's etc of it being sung, but until today I've not managed to find one.

The words are wonderfully uplifting and positive.  It's written by the husband and wife song writing duo Keith and Kristyn Getty.

Glorious light! See the dawn of salvation; 

Angels in white fill the skies with their wondrous song, 

awakening earth with news of his birth; 

Join the hymn of the highest heavens.

Long has the world fought the song of the angels; 

Heavenly music is drowned by a warring world. 

Yet hope burns a light that shatters the night; 

Turn your heart to the call of glory.

Chorus: Glory to God in the highest! 

Peace to men on earth. 

Come and adore him with wonder. 

Christ, Lord of Heaven and earth.

There is a day all creation has longed for, 

when all of time has been spent and the Lord returns. 

His song we’ll repeat, as Heaven completes, 

promised peace that will fill the nation.

You can listen to the music in the post below

Glorious Light

In 2011 I intend to ....

Get to grips with lino printing

Play with more polymer clay

Do you remember Cloth Kits?

As a child, my mum often had sewing projects on the go and very often they were cloth kits.  Cloth kits was a catalogue where you could select clothes and toy patterns and then all you needed to create them was supplied to you in a bundle.  There were no fidly paper patterns.  The fabric had the pattern pieces printed onto them and they were great quality.
I believe they faded out in the 1980's and seemed to disappear from the scenes, but now they are back and with the most exciting range of clothes, haberdashery, toys and other items.

 

Wonderful Liberty print Bias binding (drool, drool!)

Ladies fashion

 

the original vintage rag doll Polly kit which my mum made up for my sister.

There is so much to see on the site and I would strongly advise that if you are of a "I want that" disposition, that you overcome the urge to look HERE

 

Happy New Year

A new Start

 A couple of years ago, I was asked to come up with a new project for a craft magazines New Year edition.  It was quite a challenge to work my head around a new year idea for a jewellery project.
It was when I was routing around my jewellery box, that the idea hit me.  I had so many odd earrings, buttons, broken necklaces and sentimental junk that was just sitting there because I simply couldn't bear to part with it. 
So I came up with my fresh start necklace.
I have since been asked to make these necklaces for other people using their own bits and pieces.

Happy New Year

So it's now 2011. A new number which makes many people think about their lives and what they want to change about them  Whether it is : stop biting my nails, stop smoking or some other challenge, today is seen as the national day for new starts.
So if you are having a new start today, then I wish you well.

Christmas Creative Gift

Back in school many many years ago, one of my vivid memories was an art lesson.  In that lesson, we were based at the top of the tower, so with beautiful views over the River Humber plains, we set about following the instructions from our art teacher Mrs Cosens.
"Now do be careful," she remonstrated, "don't cut towards your hand, always put you hands behind the cutter tool"
Very carefully we began the lino cutting.  Sharp tools were used and we carefully gauged out the lino to produce an image.
Before long, I was so into it that the "rules" went straight out of my head and the tool went straight into the side of my hand.  I went into panic mode.  Clearly I was going to be bleeding to much to get away with no one noticing, so I stood up, went over to the sink, washed my hands and then pretended to cut my hand on the paper towel dispenser.
The teacher handed out plasters and I avoided the "I told you so" speech.

Anyway, This christmas  have been  given a lino cutter starter kit.  I'm having fun and have so far managed to shove tools into the end of two fingers!!
I'll show you the results in a few days time.

Brushing off the dust

Christmas over, out to play comes Creative and Faithful!

Victorian Baubles For Christmas

I have been busy making victorian style baubles.  You can read more about them HERE

My Grandma

Sadly, my Grandmother died last Sunday. These are just a few thoughts.

 Grandma was a believer appreciater and encourager of artistic talents.  I remember making her a plastercast of Peter Rabbit when I was young and it being given pride of place with her Pendelphin ornaments.  Never mind that it wasn't a work of art.  She treasured it.  It was the same a few years later when I made her a quilled egg.  It took pride of place in her  display cupboard. She would treasure the handmade cards that people had made for her for Christmas and would bring them out year after year, it was her way of showing you that she treasured the thoughts and love that you put into  each creation and that she could give back the thoughts and love too.