Coming soon ...

My latest project (along with all the others!) is to start building my own website. I'm a novice at such things, so it will be plain and simple. I've added my first few pages, but only want to launch it when I have completed the illustration for the home page. It's not an 'instead of' anything else, so I will still be blogging and listing items in my shops.

I'm hoping to launch the site in early June, so i'll post on here when it's ready.

http://www.giddystuff.co.uk/

Feeling a Bit Stitchy

The Feeling Stitchy: Rainbow of Stitches Contest 2010 closes tomorrow. I had been doing two brooches, a small green one and a large orange corsage. Unfortunately, the orange corsage is not yet finished, and is unlikely to be finshed for tomorrow, as it is still in little bits, and I haven't even started making the button! My little green brooch is finished, but not perfect, in fact I am also working on another little green leaf brooch as I type. If I can get it finished I will submit that to the feeling stitchy competition too. The spaced dyed yarn is left over from my ATC swap, and the background is some green turban cotton that i've had in my stash for a couple of years. The stitches on my latest brooch are more even, but let's call this one a prototype.

I will continue working on the orange corsage, because it will look great when it's finished, but I don't want to rush it for the sake of the competition.
It's been really nice to do some embroidery again with these little projects. Don't forget to look at all the entries on the contest's Flickr page.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1413453@N21/

Hearts

I've been busy working on my Altered Book swap this morning, but had to break off this afternoon to do some shopping. As usual I dipped into TKMaxx to see if I could see any little treats, and managed to get a couple of bargains (with a heart theme).

The mini heart-shaped casserole dish is Le Creuset and I can see me using it for little bits and bobs when we have barbeques. Always handy to have a dish with a cover for dips or relish.

The heart-shaped baking tin will be fantastic for red velvet cake or a giant jam tart, and will also look lovely just sitting on a kitchen shelf.

They were only two pounds each so absolute bargains! Now to put them to good use ...

ATC Swap May 2010 - VW Beetles

The end of the month, so another ATC swap completed. The theme for this one was a challenge, I don't own a car, have never really drawn a car and so have never really incorporated cars into my making!
I decided to make my VW into an actual beetle, or to be precise a ladybird. The little car was made from shrink plastic, i'm not a big fan of this, but it was the only way to get the detail I needed. The background is calico that has been stitched using a space-dyed cotton embroidery thread. I attatched the beetle using red embroidery floss and gave it little feelers, complete with beads, and six tiny legs.

Chain Maille Part 1

Following on from yesterday's 'to-do' list I have doing some preparations for my chain maille experiments. I'm going to start with some simple patterns and eventually hope to combine the technique with some other jewellery techniques.

I have been making lots of jump rings, silver-plated and copper ones. Working with two colours will help me work out the pattern repeats for the chain maille arrangements. Eventually I want to try some patterns using different sized jump rings in combination. I still have lots of jump rings to make, but hopefully i'll be able to blog about some of my experiments very soon.

A new to-do list for half-term ...

I've been busy working on my 'Feeling Stitchy' project and my Altered Book. Think it's quite good that I am working on 'lap-top' projects tonight as it's so dull and wet outside! I have a week off work coming up, which means I can concentrate on being creative, and hopefully getting some new things stocked in my Folksy and Zibbet shops.
A week without a routine as such needs a 'to-do' list, and I like to make mine public so that I feel more compelled to get things done! (And obviously my blog is a better read if there are lots of different things going on!)
So my half-term to-do list reads like this :-

1. Complete 'Feeling Stitchy' project and take photographs for Flickr site.
2. Continue with Altered Book project and post onto next person.
3. Learn some more chain maille techniques.
4. Sketch out some new ideas for latest beads.
5. Make new beach bag.

And of course i'll be on the look out for more lovely beads and fabric for more projects.

Tuesday Treasury - Here comes the sun ...

Hot weather and pleasant evenings where you can unwind in the garden with a glass of wine. Now, I don't know whether this will still be the case come Bank Holiday Monday, but here goes ... a Sunny Mini Treasury!

Top Row:-
Golden Sun Glass Sun Catcher, I'm really loving stained glass at the moment -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/DiomoGlass
Fused glass necklace - Golden sun -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/SarahMyattGlass

Bottom Row:-
Sunshine Button Ring, I own three of these rings, they're fab!  -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/CraftyLittleMia
Sunshine Skinny -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/gtlady

Another Mini Treasury next Tuesday.

Altered Books

Today is Day One of my Round Robin Altered Book swap. There are three other people involved in the swap, we spend ten days on our book and then pass it on to the next person in the chain. Everyone in the chain is doing this, so hopefully you always have a book to work on. My first 'problem' has been coping with the idea of altering a book. I love books and would never purposefully do anything to deface a book. The idea of altering books is that you find one in a charity shop, but I couldn't find a book that I could bring myself to alter ...
Then I had a thought, alter a 'nostalgia' book, there are so many books out there that look like old books but are new. I settled for this birdwatching book. I love watching the birds in my garden, and I like sketching them from my kitchen window. So, I bought two copies from the clearance book shop, one to look at, one to alter, now I don't feel so bad. And it does look a bit like a Moleskine ...

Not up to much ...

At weekends I try to busy myself with projects, but this weekend is HOT, to hot to be fussing with beads and wire! I'm not complaining, but there's not much to show off on my blog this weekend. The other reason I can show you anything is that the only creative stuff I am up to at the moment is my May ATC swap, and what i'm doing for that is top secret until the end of the week. This time i've included some embroidery together with ... well you'll find out.
I'll be starting work on my new Round Robin swap tomorrow, this time it's 'Altered Books', and my ring for the Caithness Rare Breeds Raffle will be posted to the charity tomorrow.
Then I can start a new to-do list!

Caithness Rare Breeds Raffle

Last month I wrote about this charity, which among other things deals with rare sheep breeds, including those abandoned by farmers. As someone who enjoys felting and knitting, and who raves about rare breed yarns when I see them at shows, I decided to give something back.
The charity is organising a craft raffle, so I have donated one of my cluster rings as a prize. I chose an Amethyst one, well my daughter instructed me to make it! Lots of other designers/makers have also donated items to the raffle, so there are bags, brooches, gloves and earrings.

If you are interested in this raffle visit
http://www.caithnessrarebreeds.com/raffle.html

Also worth a visit is this blog
http://cupcakesathome.blogspot.com/

AmyOrangeJuice

Last weekend I actually won something! I became the 200th follower of AmyOrangeJuice's shop on Folksy, and as a result won this rather splendid stained glass heart! It arrived in the post this morning. I had to take the photo at the bottom of the garden because the sun was too intense through the windows in the house.

Amy renovates and designs stained glass, and she is also in this month's 'Making Gifts' magazine.
I love her Beach Hut designs, one of these little ones would look fab in my bathroom window. I think it will have to be my next treat.

 Photograph from Amy's Folksy shop















http://www.folksy.com/shops/amyorangejuice
http://www.amyorangejuice.co.uk

Salad

One of the best things about the summer is food from your own garden. I've started beans and peas, and there are little green spikes sticking out the soil where I planted my shallots.
From May to August I try to plant some salad leaf seeds at regular intervals, about every two weeks, if I have enough pots/containers. I tried putting them straight into the ground and they are immediately eaten by slugs, so I use pots and they don't seem to bother quite as much. I did my first batch about two weeks ago so i'm due to plant the next lot this weekend.

I try to plant different leaves in the same pot so that you get a nice mixture. These leaves are quite small but they'll be ready to use very soon. My favourite bit about this is having barbeques being able to pick the leaves to accompany the food i've cooked. Tastes so good!

UK Handmade - Round Robin Necklace Swap Part 6

My first Round Robin Swap is offically over. My necklace arrived yesterday, and I am very pleased with it, three different people living in three different parts of the UK, creating three wonderful pieces of jewellery.
The starting point for my necklace was the blue, silver and copper colour scheme, then came the wire fish. I sent the necklace off to Kella (Creative Wishes) and she added the blue ribbon, the tiny pearls, the blue 'friendly plastic' fish and a lovely shell fragment.
Jane (Hooked Yarn) did the final part, adding a silver chain and five amazing little wire crochet motifs which she attached to the blue ribbon. Jane also made me some little earrings from some glass beads she had.

The result is a unique piece of jewellery which will be a key accessory in my summer wardrobe.

Tuesday Treasury - Sketchbooks

As i'm involved with a couple of swaps at the moment I have been busy doodling in my sketchbook. I love my sketchbooks and have a few on the go at the moment - my main A4 sketchbook where most things go, an A5 book for writing down ideas whilst i'm on the bus or train, and a small square paper Moleskine I keep with my knitting. I also buy far too many sketchbooks and notebooks. I'll use them all one day!
I looked at loads of sketchbooks and notebooks on Folksy, so here are a few of my favourites ...

Top Row:-
Hand printed knitting notebook in scarlet by Sarah Waterhouse, perfect for those pattern notes -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/plainjanetextiles

List Maker's notebook in brown, didn't know I needed a list book until I saw this - http://www.folksy.com/shops/gooseberrymoon

Bottom Row:-
Orange and Red Tree Design Notebook, love that bold design -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/LetterpressDesign

Red Fish Sketchbook - A5 (Handbag Sized!!)
http://www.folksy.com/shops/NantDesigns

Pink and Pearls

Yesterday I actually did some creative stuff! In the morning I spent time sorting out my Feeling Stitchy entry, colour is decided, and imagery is on its way! I also bought some threads to get me started.
In the afternoon I got my beading board out and started to gather together some beads that would work well with some pink shell ovals that I had had for a while. I settle on using a range of dusky pink glass beads and some little flowers made from coconut. I used antique black findings, including a toggle clasp. I'm not a pink person, but felt really pleased with the finshed item, so it will be difficult to list it!

My daughter then spotted the necklace and took some persuading that it was not something she could help herself to, so in the end I made her a glass pearl bracelet, but used the same sort of fastening I had used on the necklace.

She has now 'commissioned' me to make some jewellery for her school trip to Paris ... wonder how much she pays?

Lovely Things to Make for Girls of Slender Means

Yesterday's treat was 'Lovely Things to Make for Girls of Slender Means' by Eithne Farry. Some of you will be familiar with Eithne's previous book 'Yeah, I Made it Myself', and I personally was very excited when I found out she had a new book on the way.

Picture from Orion Books

This book is about making your own clothes, but in a very, freeform way. There is no pocket containing patterns at the back, no CD-ROM where you can print them off. Eithne does not claim to be a fashion designer or a fabulous seamstress, but she loves clothes and she enjoys making them.
If you have always wanted to make your own clothes but you are put off by paper patterns and scary instructions then give this a go! Experiment!
Eithne uses pyjama bottoms to help her design a template to make some summer shorts.
Lots of the makes involve sewing together squares or rectangles of fabric.
She uses a CD as a template to put a scalloped edge on the bottom or a dress.
My favourite make is 'A Week of Summer Tops',  taking a simple 50's style top and making seven variations including adding fabric confetti, making it from silk scarves bought in a charity shop and adding frilly edging.
I'm off to look through my fabric stash and make a start. If i'm successful you'll see it on here!

Day out in Worcester

As a public transport user rather than a car owner I am prone to hopping on trains at the weekend and heading off to random places. It does help that Staffordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire are all within easy reach.
Today I chose Worcester, lots of lovely shops, the Cathedral and the river. I always find new places to investigate here.
My shopping consisted of some lovely beads, Eithne Farry's new book (I'll review that tomorrow), and some gingham cupcake cases that will be fab for picnics!
Worcester has been a haven for ornithologists for the past couple of years due to the St Andrew's Spire peregrine falcons. The spire itself is interesting, as you approach it you would think it was a tall, but ordinary church, but in fact only the spire remains, the rest of the church was demoloshed in 1949. The peregrines had been nesting in the spire and there are webcams in place to capture any sightings. Unfortunately, they have nested elsewhere this year. One of the female offspring still visits the spire, but is still too young to nest, so maybe next year. She had been in the gardens surrounding the spire (eating a pigeon!) not long before we arrived, but never mind! It was worth walking down there just to look at the spire itself and to talk to the fantastic people from the RSPB.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-249861
http://www.worcesterperegrines.org/

Mess!

My intention for this weekend is to start some embroidery for the Feeling Stitchy: Rainbow of Stitches Contest 2010. I've worked out some ideas in my sketchbook and collected some fabrics and threads that I like. Embroidery is great because you can do it on the move (as in on the bus/train) and if you  relaxing in front of the tv, and is doesn't make as much mess as beading!
I seem to knock over pots of seed beads on a regular basis and you find them for weeks afterwards even if you try your hardest to clear them all up. Beading thread seems to unravel itself from the spool and you trip over it, and wire 'pings' off when you cut it and you can never find the bit that flew off!
I haven't really made anything all this week, but all my jewellery materials have remained scattered around the house together with various totes full of knitting and crochet!

This picture is a section of my living room floor! I've been stepping over this lot to get upstairs all week, I will move it over the weekend. The pink pliers and cutters mean that I know which tools are mine if I take them into work. The notebook is a new one that is just handbag sized (for jotting down those eureka moments) and the jiffy bags are my jewellery equivalent of a knitting bag. Lots of people try to recycle their jiffy bags, but I find them useful for holding individual projects that i'm in the middle of making, as they protect any glass or ceramic beads that I may be using.

If you are interested in the Feeling Stitchy competition have a look at -

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1413453@N21/

May in my garden

As i'm working on my ATC swap and can't reveal much, and as my day job is eating into my evenings and preventing me from creating any jewellery, my only sanctuary at the moment is my garden. Too cold to plant a lot of my seedlings out at the moment, but there are some nice things happening out there. I live in an urban area, but my garden is bordering on wild with a vegetable patch - no solar lights and decking here! So here are some pictures of the lovely things appearing in my garden this month.

There are lots of bluebells at the moment, just wish I had a few more big trees so I could have a mini bluebell wood.

The chives are just starting to flower, love the purple against the green. And it's so nice to be able to step outside and grab a few chives to sprinkle on potatoes.

Last, but not least my Japanese Acer, bought as a twig from Woolworth's a few years back and getting taller and more colourful every year.

I'm swapping again!

I'm signed up to another couple of swaps for this month. Both are quite challenging, but challenging is good!
This month's ATC swap on UK Handmade has the theme of VW Beetles, an iconic car, but how to put my personal 'slant' on the card ... I have a few ideas and am working in my sketchbook on this project at the moment.
Yesterday Kella from Creative Wishes posted a new Round Robin swap on the UK Handmade website. The theme will be 'altered books' - using old unwanted books as an art form, changing the cover, altering and working on top of the pages. I've never done this sort of thing before, so I will have to keep re-reading the rules that Kella has put on the site so I get it right! So now i'm scouring charity shops to find 'the book' that i'm going to alter ...

http://ukhandmade.ning.com/group/ukhandmadeatcswapgroup

http://ukhandmade.ning.com/group/ukhandmaderoundrobinswapgroup/forum/topics/creative-wishes-may-2010-round

Tuesday Treasury - Blossom

It's not with us long, but it's a sign that Spring is here. The blossom is currently falling from the trees like pale pink snow, so here's a treasury to celebrate the May blossom ...

Top Row:-
Japanese Blossom Teapot -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/loupeajeux
Linen Cherry Blossom Egg Cosy -
 http://www.folksy.com/shops/thelinencat

Bottom Row:-
Cherry Blossom Birds Fat Quarter -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/paulaozierdesigns
Butterscotch and Peridot Blossom Earrings -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/BinaGeyer

The white flowery bead ...

Last week I blogged about some beads that my dad had found, and I said that I would show you what i'd done with the beads when i'd used them.
There was a pewter coloured bead, which I am going to use in a necklace i'm making for my mum, and a white flowery bead, which I have used as a starting point for a bracelet.

The bracelet is for my daughter, who loves lilac and purple. I sorted out some painted wooden beads, some grey/blue crackled glass beads which I bought recently at the NEC and some floral acrylic beads. Some of the wooden beads had HUGE holes and I had to add little frosted glass beads to stop the findings falling through! I used antique black findings so that they didn't detract from the brightness of the beads I had used.
The photo isn't brilliant as it was taken quickly and then the bracelet was whisked away to my daughter's jewellery box!

Zibbet

Now that I have completed my UK Handmade swap activities, it's back to making jewellery for the moment. I am really interested in using semi-precious stones in my current work, using them to create cluster rings, and combining them with wooden beads and brass findings to create bracelets and necklaces.
My main problem at the moment is the sun! I wish it would decide to stay out when it comes out, jewellery always looks better photographed in natural light.
Anyway, here is a sample of some of my latest pieces, i've listed them on Zibbet for a change ...

http://www.zibbet.com/giddystuff

Bean Bag Buddies - the results ...

A few weeks ago I blogged about a project I had designed for another teacher(who is not a textile specialist) to deliver to a group of eleven year olds. Well, the project is complete. The students had a great time designing their bean bag characters, tie-dyeing their own fabric, adding details with felt and embroidery, and tacking them together.
Unfortunately there was no sewing machine in the classroom, so the completed bean bag buddies were delivered back to me, sewn on my machine, and then the students filled them with rice (at the bottom), and toy stuffing (at the top). The rice at the bottom means that the bean bag buddies will sit nicely on the top of a tv or computer monitor.
The students then closed the tops of the bean bags using ladder stitch.
All the bean bag buddies have been taken home, an excellent sign! However I have got a picture of a couple of them. Think they've worked really well!

ATC Swap April 2010 - She's A Rainbow

The April 2010 ATC Swap is complete, so I can now blog about my card. Looks like my card got caught up in the Bank Holiday post!
The theme was 'Songs', so I spent a couple of evenings on Spotify, picking out songs I liked and listening to the lyrics. I mind-mapped a few ideas in my sketchbook and decided to use 'She's A Rainbow' by The Rolling Stones as my starting point.

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


I created the hair by drawing out the seperate patterns on paper using felt-tip pens, I then copied these onto transfer paper and ironed them onto calico.I cut out the individual 'waves' and arranged them on my card, adding three-dimensional fabric paint at the joins. The face was created using polymer clay which I then sanded and varnished when it had been baked.
 
I enjoyed this swap and am looking forward to the May swap now. The theme for that will be VW Beetles.

UK Handmade - Round Robin Necklace Swap Part 5

Yesterday I blogged all about the oriental style necklace started by Jane (HookedYarn), my job was to complete Jane's necklace and send it on to her. In the same parcel, I posted on my original necklace (which I will blog about very soon), and Kella's necklace , which Jane will be completing.
Kella's necklace could not be more different from Jane's necklace - copper finding, lemon yellow fabric and turquoise beads. Initially I thought adding to this necklace would be easy, but it was my third attempt before I got together beads and findings that I was happy with!

The biggest challenge for this piece was making my own findings, copper ones are hard to find, so I made different sized jump rings and pins for threading beads. I also made some pale yellow polymer clay 'stones'
On the left hand side I added a yellow 'stone' and a selection of yellow and turquoise glass beads.
On the right hand side I added another yellow polymer clay stone, and then a wire 'feature', made from copper wire and turquoise and yellow seed beads and bugle beads. To complete my 'bit' I added one of those long turquoise beads that I had added to Jane's necklace (thought this would be a nice link), and another large yellow bead. And then I had to force myself to stop!

I'd done my 'third' of the length Kella required, so I stopped and put everything in the parcel to send to Jane.

I'll add more about this swap when I get my piece back.

Kella's blogshop :- http://kellascreativewishes.blogspot.com/

UK Handmade - Round Robin Necklace Swap Part 4

The last time I blogged about this neclace swap was when I posted my original piece off in the 'first round'. During the past week I have been working on my sections of the other two necklaces in the swap - reading what the original makers had in mind, checking my stash for findings and beads and mind-mapping ideas in my sketchbook.
Adding to someone else's design is hard, you want to be creative, but you don't want to imprint your style too much on something that they have created.

This first posting of the week is the necklace started by Jane (Hooked Yarn) - an oriental looking pendant, and some brass findings and coloured fibres added by Kella (Creative Wishes).

It was my job to complete the necklace and add a fastening. On the left hand side I added a large amber-coloured rectangular shell bead and some red glass beads.
On the right hand side I added a mixture of beads from my stash, all with an oriental theme - a wooden flower, a painted ceramic bead and a chinese coin pendant.
The large square wooden bead was designed by me on the computer and created using a laser cutter. I stained it a rich dark brown colour to blend with the other wooden elements. I completed the right hand side with a cylindrical red glass bead and a long turquoise .

I hope i've added pieces that Jane is happy with. I've really enjoyed this swap, I will blog about my additions to Kella's necklace tomorrow.

Jane's Folksy shop :- http://www.folksy.com/shops/gtlady

Tuesday Treasury - Emerald

My first mini-treasury of the month. As someone who dabbles in jewellery, I know that the birthstone for May is emerald, not that I dabble with emeralds unfortunately. So, here is an emerald inspired mini-treasury ...

Top Row
Emerald City Green Button Bracelet -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/MrsGibson
Original lino cut print "Spiral Rabbit in Emerald" -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/ADEEGAN

Bottom Row
Emerald Green Taffeta Prom Dress - Made by Dig For Victory -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/digforvictory
Emerald cluster earrings -
http://www.folksy.com/shops/ButtonsandBeadsGifts

Ok, so not actual emeralds, but some lovely emerald items, and I do love anything green!
Another treasury next Tuesday.

PRINT & PATTERN

Like many 'makers with a blog' I look forward to reading printpattern - the blog of Bowie Style aka Marie Perkins. At the weekend I treated myself to her book PRINT & PATTERN Bowie Style. Now I can have lovely patterns to look at when i'm away from my laptop. Lots of beautiful photographs (which I have nicked to put in this post), information about the designers and their selected work, and also their website/blog addresses.
This book is a must if you love Kawaii, Scandanavian textiles and cute little birds, go on treat yourself, and if you don't already follow the printpattern website, press that button now!

www.printpattern.blogspot.com
Pretty Pretty Elephants by Lotta Bruhn www.bruhnfamily.com
Eek! Olive by Heather Moore www.skinnylaminx.info
Grumpy Raincloud brooches by Lynda Lye in collaboration with Claire Mullan www.forestprints.com