Crafty Fumblings

Well, I don't know how I haven't gotten round to updating this blog in a while, but anyway, here we go..

I haven't done a great deal, although I have finally established myself on Etsay! Wayhay! However, at the moment I only have one item up for ale, but if you're an Etsy users and fancy having a look (or not, maybe you're just nosey?) then here is a fitting time to display a link!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/witchywoocrafts

I've had (once again...) a few birthdays lingering so I've mostly been crafting for those, photos of which will emerge soon!

However, you may remember a few weeks ago now I told you all I'd been experimenting with vintage fabrics and gingerbread men? Well, I've finally created a whole batch ind elightful shades and patterns! There are two kinds, gingerbread men and gingerbread women! There's ten in total and are now featuring on my 'Bewitching Trinkets' page, where you will also find another approrpriate link to the very Folksy page where you can indeed purchase this item! One thing I also like, which I can't take the credit for as my boyfriend suggested it, is that you can buy one of each (or two of each, or maybe three.....depending on your preference..) and match them up to make 'couples'! Included are some images, but like I say you can also find them on 'Bewitching Trinkets'...enjoy!

I'll be back soon I swear...

CALLING ALL DESIGNERS!

Top alternative fashion company Me&Yu, based in Manchester, are joining forces with FYCreatives to establish a Blackpool Fashion Boutique this August. The initiative calls for designs to be submitted by those from Blackpool and the Fylde Coast (though any association with Blackpool will be considered) to produce accessories and/or clothing which could form some of the stock for the display. The theme is Blackpool and the idea is to create new, alternative mementos and souvenirs, based on anything you might find for sale in your average boutique. The deadline is May 13th and to obtain more information and an application pack visit http://www.facebook.com/meandfyc

This is an excellent opportunity for budding designers, artists, crafters, you name it, to get creating and inspire a new shopping and fashion culture in Blackpool!

That's Blown It...

It doesn't feel like 2 minutes since I was extolling the virtues of the early Spring weather. But, as is its wont, this week we find ourseves beseiged with icy temperatures and battering winds. On the Fylde coast gale force winds are no stranger to us, but they don't half make for unproductiveness!

That doesn't really make any sense, right? I mean, it's cold and unpleasant outside, so we ought to be bolting the doors shut, sticking a film on and getting down to some serious stitching. But unfortunately the penetrating wind just won't give me a moment to concentrate! Rattling the windows so that I have to turn the volume up astronomically high really isn't much help. Added to that the sudden drop in temperature which means my hands are starting to freeze and numb up, making needlework virtually impossible! Alas! So instead I thought I'd come downstairs to the warmth of the kitchen and pen this little note on how little I've done!

Yesterday was a slightly more creative day than today, but that's largely because I spent it under the covers (my immune system has also been besieged by a cold...) and the wind didn't get up until last night. So I managed to finish making a 'welcome' sign which I started on Saturday evening, designed for a door or hall entrance way. I love working with gingerbread men, as you might have guessed, because they make homes so much more inviting (usually its that promise of sweet treats...). You will see I've opted for a slightly subdued design: the gingie's don't have faces, instead I've let the simpleness of the floral vintage materials come through, and be enhanced with the buttons and bows. Hand stitching the letters with gold metallic thread also gives the chain a homewarming feel, and shows that time and effort has been put in. Most people don't like hand-stitching, they prefer to do these things on a sewing machine. But in that sense I guess I'm a bit of a luddite. Sewing machines have always scared me a little, I prefer the peacefulness of a single needle and thread which you can take anywhere. For instance, the lettering I did on Saturday night while watching Blackpool thrash Southampton 3-0 in the football! All in the comfort of my kitchen... What I like best about the chain, however, is the colour scheme. I find rustic, natural colours very waming, especially for a home decoration. Maroon and Ivory echo peacefulness and refined tastes and goes well with the simple brown floral print of the gingerbread men. To finish I strung the lot on a length of sturdy cream ribbon which I had lying around from a variety pack of materials. Now as soon as the wind dies down I'll nip outside to take a good photo of it, hanging on my door...

...On second thoughts, don't bother waiting for the wind to die down in Blackpool!

Inside The Artist's Studio: Rose Collage, vol. 2

Hurrah! It is finished! In case you're new to this, my recent project has been to make a unique 30th birthday present for my sister. I decided on a small, A5 sized, textile collage of a rose. Although it was a step into the uknown because, although I've done a couple of collages before, working with the intricate detail of a rose design is always going to be fraught with difficulties!
However, I think it's fared well for a first attempt. There are things I might do slightly differently next time, such as make a few more parts for it to appear slightly more intricate, and measure out my leaves better, as well as not sitch the inner leaf material so closely to the edge, as you can see it was prone to fraying. The problem with the leaves really came as I stitched her name onto the lower left leaf, and this created a difficulty when getting the rose to appear aligned properly, as I did not want to cover the name.

The complete project actually took me far less time than I had originally envisaged. All in all I'd say it took about 10 hours from start to finish, including the design/templating process. Once again, to bring it a little more to life you can see I've gone down my favourite path of sequins! Not only does this fill out the blank canvas, while retaining its simplicity, it also highlights the softer petals. And to finish, I've bound the edges of the canvas with pink polka dot ribbon from my local crafts shop, which makes it look beautiful and homely! A real Spring treat for a kitchen or entranceway; the simple pink and white colour scheme, along with the floral prints, cleanse any room of negativity!

To conclude: a success!

Fun In The Sun!

It's officially Summer! Well, maybe not quite..we've just had the Vernal Equinox and tonight for us Brits the clocks go forward, but with this unseasonably warm weather we've been having you could mistake it for late May. It's that time when we realise we're actually quite a way into the not-so-new year: resolutions have been forgotten, diet's gone AWOL, and we all feel the pull to be more active, get on with those to-do lists and make the most of life.
So, what am I doing procrastinating?! Well it's that damned hazy sunshine! And I know, I know, I'm supposed to be working on my sister's present, not making more designs for me! However, sometimes I feel it's nice to take a break away from one project before you get tired of working on it and end up hating the thing! Though I must admit I have never been this addicted to crafting before! And I think addiction is the right word here... I think this blog has been useful in that it is getting me to persevere with my crafting but my hobby has turned into an obsession!
Anyway, as I was sorting out some materials for use in the aforementioned present I went rummaging around through bags and bags of material I inherited when my nana passed away. I've had these fabrics lying around for years and always meant to put them to a good use...well now I am doing.
Vintage is a big hit at the moment and these fabrics have that definite vintage edge. However, what is so versatile about them, and makes them great for brooches and decorations etc, is that their designs and prints are still so appealing to the eye. I don't know if it's the simple floral prints or the retro colours, but so long as you team them up with a fun design they're always going to look trendy and modern.
So, I just felt like making myself a little brooch to wear and couldn't wait to get stuck into these fabulous fabrics. I love gingerbread men (as you might be able to tell) and have been wanting to design a gingerbread man brooch for a while. It was pure experimentation but I think it's worked!

My first step was using this light blue, polka dot, ribbed material because it instantly makes me feel summery! Added with some lemon yellow stitching and bow tie, as well as bright pink star sequins for buttons and eyes, this is the perfect spring/summer accessory. Since having made it I can't stop looking at it; the colours make me want to go walking along the beach now that we're having some exceptionally glorious weather! And on that note, you know what, I think I might... In the meantime while I'm enjoying the beautiful north-west coast, you can take a sneak peak at my latest creations below...

More Card Ideas...

Here is a card I have designed for my sister's 30th. As you can see I've kept the acutal card part quite simple, because I wanted it to play host only to the part of the card in the middle, that is the cupcake 'dangly'. I know not everyone likes to keep hold of these things, so I haven't wasted any fancy fabrics and materials on the card itself, but have made a dangly which is affixed inside with a piece of sticky pad and hangs over the front. This way she can dispose of the card after her birthday but keep the cupcake and use it as a car dangly, a handbag charm or any other home decoration! Nifty!

Inside The Artist's Studio: Rose Collage, vol.1

I thought I'd write a snippet about my currect project. My sister turns 30 next week and as part of her present I thought I'd make a little textile collage of a rose, which, as well as being simply gorgeous, is also personal because it relates to her name.
I started it this morning, first drawing out a template of a rose and then replicating that, cutting out the major 'parts' and tracing them onto an assortment of pink and red fabrics. This is potentially a very tricky project to attempt, as roses are obviously very complex flowers with all their subtleness of folds. It's very possible that layering materials to create texture and definition could just look like a mess of fabrics! (This is typical of the way I create new items, I start off with an idea and just delve right in; making mistakes is a large part of the creative process for me!)
You will see that I've created the middle part of the rose using pink satin, which I had some scraps left over of. I cut out a rough square, folded over the two top most corners and sewed them in place with invisible thread, to create a 'soft' arrow point. then I twisted the material around to the left, tucking in any loose edges and stitched the bud in place with more invisible thread. Now that I have all the pieces ready in a number of different materials (hessian, printed cotton, satin and my beloved felt) I am ready to assemble them all onto the canvas. I'm planning to use metallic embroidery thread to give definition as well as sequins to add a special sparkle and depth to the image. I've also yet to make some leaves, down which I will stitch her name in sparkly thread as the 'stem'..

It's proving to be an exciting project for me as I've never created such a complex design giving only the 'insinuation' of definition using layered fabrics. I've also never stitched directly onto an unbacked canvas, whihc is what I will be doing here... However, this is where I am with it at the present moment. Please check back to see the second installment over the coming days, and see whether I have managed to make a success of it or whether it's consigned to the scrap materials bag!