my first fuschia

And here's the first fuschia

G'night folks

xxx

Some fusioneering and another chance to win

Evening my lovelies.

Firstly - another chance to win the amazing colouring DVD by Leann Chivers and Crafters Companion from a member of the design team - Lis

Next - I've had a play with Sheena Douglass' new paint fusion stamps (they are not Sheena's they are mine).  My first attempt was not (to my mind) overly successful, but you decide for yourself

It's not dreadful, but not how I wanted.  My main mistake was to stamp the flower image before looking at the tutorial on Youtube so when I tried to put the leaves in I couldn't comprehend quite how to do it.

So for my next attempt I worked out the composition first

I decided I wanted a little something extra in there, so added a fairy from the Fairyopolis range, and coloured her in with flexmarkers.   The background was too white so I coloured that with the linen flexmarker, but not so much so that it was a solid block of colour.   I then stamped in a sentiment (which is not exactly a sentiment but can't think of anything else to call it).

I might attempt the fuschia whilst I've got my  paints out

Later folks

xxx



Crafter's Companion Giveaway

hello people

Those wonderful folks at Crafters Companion are giving away a copy of their new "Colouring with the Spectrum Noir System" DVD.   I imagine that many of the hints and tips will be equally applicable for whatever alcohol pen system you use.  And as they say, you have to be in it to win it.   So if you want to be in it - go HERE

And if you don't want to be in with a chance, then don't go there

Simples

Later folks
xxx

Bibble bobble

Evening folks

Since my crochet escapade with the birdie decoration, which some of you eagle eyed viewers (see what I did there) may have seen on Create and Craft's "knit and natter" with Hayley West and Loen Love, I have done a bit of knitting before having a bit more of a practice with crochet.

I may have mentioned before that I am a huge fan of charity shops.  Whilst I was having a browse during my "can I leave the house for more than an hour without needing to sleep all of the following day" expedition last week I found 3 balls of pom pom yarn for 99p.   So I decided to knit something with it.  A cushion, thought I.  And not being sure how many stitches to cast on, or how big it would end up or how far the yarn would go, I cast on about 30 stitches (16 pompoms) and carried on in garter stitch (knitting - as opposed to purling, each row).   It took 2 balls before the sample was about 12" square.   And looked the same from either side.Which left me with a very small cushion front and and only one ball left.

So I had a bit of a think, and whilst watching Jonathan Ross on Saturday evening, I knitted the other ball into a scarf.  Nearly.  Made a mistake whilst casting off and the whole thing got a ladder right down the middle.   So I unrun/unran it, and started again.    and then changed my mind and decided I'd try making a cushion back but obviously I couldn't do it exactly the same as the front as I only had one ball of yarn.     So I did it on bigger needles and did stocking stitch, so rather than be the same on both sides it's a lot looser and flat on the back.

But I couldn't get a cushion pad small enough so bought a cheap 18" one and just shoved it in.  So the cushion is stuffed to overflowing.  But looks reasonable enough.

It's actually supposed to be the other way round, but I though it looked better like this.

I would like to have another go, but until I get round to buying some more of the pompom yarn, I am continuing with crochet practice.    I am just doing rows, and rows, and rows, of treble crochet (which for our US cousins I believe is double crochet) until I reach the end of the 100g ball of aran.   I'm hoping it will be long enough to form into some sort of cowl type thing.   but I don't think it will be so I might have to put some sort of experimental border on it and maybe some flowers and turn it into something pretty.

Or maybe a corset!


Later folks
xxx

Another attempt at crochet

evening folks
One of my work pals goes to a craft group on a Tuesday evening and every so often she will show me what she's been up to.  They are currently crocheting.   My pal is even more of a learner at crochet than me, so when she asked for my help in doing a circle I tried my best, but have to admit I wasn't much use.   The lunch that we discussed crochet over was nice though.

Apparently her crochet mentor had thought that she would be best off trying a circle as she didn'st seem to be able to get her head round working crochet in rows.  And to encourage her she told her about a rather fabulous blog, which was new to me but apparently very well renowned in crochet blogging circles.  And I can see why.  It's called Attic24 and written by a Mum called Lucy.  Not only does she produce inspiring work, she is a very good blogger as well.   The project my pal is working on is called "Birdie Decoration" and I think it's absolutely adorable.

The same day as our lunch I thought I'd give a circle a go.  Never done one, but how hard could it be?????   Well.  I have to admit that it wasn't as easy as it looked, but I'm a knitter not a crocheter.  I can make up a dishcloth by doing some sort of design that may or may not be an official crochet stitch but ended up kinda square.  But following a pattern when I don't know what the stitches are is a different thing altogether.

Anyway, I did a circle (albeit not completely circular) and left it at that, thinking I'd help my pal out the next time I saw her.  Unfortunately, my cold developed into acute sinusitis, and have not yet returned to work.   And then she asked me if I wanted to go to her Crafty group, just to get me out of the house for an hour or so.  So I went.  And I took my spectacular circular effort.

And she made me finish it -  so here is the finished birdie.  not as great as Lucy's but her's is rather marvellous.

Methinks I need a bit more practise. 

To aid me in this endeavour I have ordered myself some crochet hooks (bog standard ordinary ones).  And whilst I was at it I ordered myself some sock needles (Symfonie ones at that)

Later folks

xxx

Don't make me shout

Well here I am, been home from work sick for nearly 2 weeks.  The second time sick since Christmas, and in fact, if you include my Christmas leave I've only been in work for about 3 weeks since November.  And my 2 hit cold has developed into acute sinusitis, so I now have antibiotics and a nasal spray, to go with my paracetamol, antidepressants and anticonvulsants.  Yes, I am a walking pharmacy.

And it's as much as I can do to stay awake all day, but on Sunday I did manage to have a bit of a play, having been inspired by the marvellous Barbara Gray of Clarity stamps on create and craft.  If you haven't seen her work, or if you haven't seen her new website, go have a look. 

I copied a card she did on the show, and although I forgot to add a bit, I'm very pleased with the result.

I used the Clarity flower frame stamp and the mini pansy.  I used flexmarkers to colour them in.

later folks

xxx

FREE PROMARKERS

Well, not quite, but an opportunity to win some.   You need to follow this link to find out how.   And what's more they are the new limited edition ones.   So go on, you know you want to.   But if you don't want to, then it gives me more of an opportunity

Later folks

xxx