Sunday 30 September 2007

Tagged, tagged and tagged again!

So Charlotte, Heidi and Sakura (although she actually de-tagged me when she saw I'd already been got!) tagged me this week to reveal 7 random/weird things about myself. I've done a few of these so I can't promise not to repeat anything I've told you before but here goes...


  1. My nickname, from my brother, used to be Kiki because he couldn't say my name properly.

  2. One of my legs is longer than the other but I can't remember which!

  3. I didn't learn to swim until I was about 12.

  4. Bagpuss was one of my favourite TV programmes when I was little.

  5. The shortest time I've stayed in a job is half a day.EDIT (for Heidi): It was a rubbish boring admin job in a shipping office that I didn't know how to do! I went on to have many more rubbish boring admin jobs but that was the worst

  6. I once had a place at Bournemouth uni to study journalism but I didn't go because of a boy.

  7. I'm terrible at sticking to things (see above for proof!) but I'm trying to improve and am now on year four of a five year IT degree.



I'm not tagging anyone (bah humbug) but feel free to have a go and leave me a comment if you do! x

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Three puppies and a rubber chicken...

First here are my two latest photos for Crafting 365...

Day 9- yet more crochet and new wool

More crochet and new wool!

Day 10- Christmas cards in progress

Christmas cards in progress

And here are the Yorkie puppies that are currently staying with us...



Sorry, you'll have to tilt your head on the side, don't know how to rotate videos!
Our Toby is the one with the curly tail, the other two are his sisters.

Hope you're all having good weeks so far, nearly half way! x

Tuesday 25 September 2007

Crafting 365: Day 7 & 8

Not much to say today so here are days 7 & 8 of the Crafting 365.

Day 7:
Felted flower added to crochet scarf- Day 7/365

Added a little needle felted flower to the crocheted scarf.

Day 8:
Crochet scarf in progress- Day 8/365

Started another scarf, in "Ginger Snap" this time. Do you like the bowl it's sitting in? 50p from a charity shop, bargain!

I'll be back soon x

Monday 24 September 2007

Crafting 365: Day 5 & 6

Well today is actually day 8 for me but I need to take some photos so here are 5 & 6:

Day 5, finished my first ever crochet scarf...

Day 5/365 Finished crochet scarf

Day 6, Gocco printed Christmas cards...

Gocco printed Christmas cards

Available to buy here

Hope the start to your new weeks are going well. Can't believe it's nearly October! x

Thursday 20 September 2007

Crafting 365 (picking up where I left off): Day 4

So I got a bit behind on Crafting 365 to say the least but I'm back now and I'm teaching myself a new craft, crochet. I got the book quick crochet huge hooks out of the library as it looked like my sort of thing- I like quick results when it comes to crafting. So armed with a 15mm hook (size Q) I got hooking and have the early stages of a lovely soft purple scarf in my possession.



Sorry the picture isn't the best, I took it last night.

So far I'm finding crochet quite straightforward but then I've only learnt one stitch so far so it's early days. Any beginner crochet tips from any of my lovely readers?

Tuesday 18 September 2007

Crafty blogger Interview: Marjorie of Marmee Craft


It's time again to find out more about a fellow crafty blogger. This month it's the turn of Marjorie of Marmee Craft and My Cozy Little Whimsy Nook.
When & why did you first start writing a blog?
Hmmm. Well, I suppose I started my blog as way to share what I was working on in my little studio and what was new in my shop. (I started My Cozy Little Whimsy Nook in March of this year)! From the beginning I've been doing a weekly featured Etsy Lovelies posting that highlights 3 amazing Etsy shops. I love doing that...there is just some magic 'good vibe' kind of feeling that Etsy gives off that makes you want to give back to other artists...my weekly feature is my small way of doing that! I've also found that keeping a blog really keeps me on a creative track and fires the urge to create more!

What is the first thing you can remember making?
The very first thing? Drawings (and mud pies). Actually, I used to have these little drawing sessions with my Dad....he would draw me, then I would draw him. Later I can remember I had this little notebook filled with drawings that I had made of ice skaters costumes and 18th century side hooped gowns...even at age 6 I was obsessed with costume! I also used to fashion elaborate costumes for my dolls out of tin foil ( perhaps I was channelling James Hampton!?)

What or who is your inspiration when you craft and also when you write?
When I'm creating I get inspired by the little stories that pop into my head (usually involving girls and forest creatures set in rather Victorian surroundings and situations....tea is often a factor)! There is the always-constant 19th century inspiration that drives all of my work (fashion, culture, literature etc.). I'm also heavily in love with folk art portraiture...I think this comes through when I paint. When I write in my blog I like to be whimsical and silly... and I hope to make readers smile and come away with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

What are your favourite materials to use when crafting?
Paint (usually acrylic), Canvas, Ink, Watercolour, Pencils, Old Bits of Ephemera, Wool, Cotton, Calico, Antique Lace, Vintage Trims, Wood. I love painting on wood, Thrifted Frames and Whatnots, Paper, my Wacom pad, Adobe, Ribbons, Polka-Dot Anything, String......the kitchen sink?

What do you listen to when you craft?
Music is and has always been my dearest muse! I think at least 80 percent of my inspiration comes from the pictures that form in my mind from music. I love Vivaldi for working, it really gets you going! I'm a strong advocate of Philip Glass for painting as well as lovely film soundtracks (Birth, Maurice, Howards End among tons of others). A small sampling of what can often be heard echoing from my little studio: A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Beirut, Sunset Rubdown, Haushka, Sati, Dustin O'Halloran, Bjork, Animal Collective, Beethoven, John Field, Roscoe Holcomb, ...and the list goes on....and on.....

What’s the one thing you've made that you're most proud of?
It’s hard to say. I usually fall head-over-heels in love with whatever work I've most recently finished. So right now I’'d say The Green Swell is the apple of my eye.



What other crafty blogs do you read and why should we read them too?
There are so many lovely and magical blogs that I can’t live without!


I have a lengthy list of all my favourite blogs on the left hand side of my little whimsy nook. I love them all and you should visit them because they are all so delightful and thoughtful and lovely!!

What crafty plans do you have up your sleeve (if they’'re not top secret)?
I've always got new paintings swirling around in my head. Currently there are more 18th century dressed ladies and cute animal portraits. I've also been toying with the idea of doing some miniature portraits in vintage lockets, and smaller painted dolls.

I hope you all enjoyed the interview, if you'd like to be featured in a future month then leave me a comment :)

Monday 17 September 2007

Oh dear...

I have rather been abandoning both my blog and my crafting! I was away with work most of last week so didn't have much spare time at all. So the Crafting 365 has rather gone by the wayside I'm afraid. I have made some cards though so will take photos soon I promise!

In the meantime here's a funny picture of Toby for you all...

"Grow your own pup"

Friday 7 September 2007

Crafting 365: Day 2 & 3

Day 2:

Finished and listed this card, the dots are needle felted, a skill the lovely Charlotte taught us whilst in York.

Going dotty- card

Day 3:

Finished my first ever scrapbook page:

bro and sis scrapbook page

I really enjoyed it and will definitely be making another one soon. I decided my flowery scrapbook papers weren't suitable for a layout featuring my brother so here's a quick summary of the steps I used to make this layout:

  1. Printed the photo!
  2. Cut a piece of sketch paper to 8x8"
  3. Covered the paper with slightly watered down blue acrylic paint. I kept it quite "rough" with some bits more covered than others.
  4. Got my little tiny alphabet stamps and made the word "family". Stamped them in black ink haphazardly all over the paper in all directions.
  5. Got the black ink pad and rubbed it over the paper in a random fashion until I like how it looked!
  6. Did a little random machine stitching on the paper
  7. Stencilled "bro + sis" on the orange luggage label.
  8. Stapled the photo and luggage label on the paper. I played around with the positions for a while before stapling. Added the silver clip.
  9. Spelt out family in some fancy stickers at the bottom.
  10. Done.

Tuesday 4 September 2007

Crafting 365: Day 1

Etsy seller lupin started a personal project to make something every day for 365 days. She decided to extend the idea to make a flickr group and invite us all to join in!

So here I am on day 1. I finished this little pouch off today just in time for my friends birthday.

Denim pouch

Also today I managed to take some long overdo photos of some bird collages I finished some time ago. They're available to buy now on etsy as a triptych.

Bird collage

I'll be back again later this week with some more Crafting 365 photos. x

Monday 3 September 2007

Whoops...

A whole week has gone by and I haven't posted anything. I still don't really have anything to say so here are some of my current etsy favourites (don't buy them, I want them!):

Etsy
Buy Handmade
pinkangel

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