Me & FYC & My First Commission!

I can't believe how long it's been since making a post. The reason for this is I have been very very busy crafting away and (sigh) working... Yet I have two pieces of good news!

The first being, I was commissioned by my good friend Esther to make a present for her friends' wedding coming up at the end of the month. My first commission! And for that I am eternally grateful Esthula! So I thought what would be better than to make a lovely, homely garland to display in their joint abode.
I followed my usual pattern of hearts and gingerbread folk, this time stitching their names into their hearts strung along on cream canvas ribbon and a lady gingerbread and man gingerbread at either end...complete with pearl necklaces and bow ties. Of course!
Homely and personalised, I thought this made an ideal wedding present. I shall attach photos soon and hope in the meantime that if anyone else has any requests you will e-mail me and I'll see what I can do! Or alternatively, check out my page on Folksy where you can see an example of a personalised garland which you can commission for yourself!

My rough design for Esther's wedding gift

And now onto my second piece of good news...

You may remember before my long absence I brought you news of the Me & FYC Blackpool Fashion Boutique making its way to the town. Well, I submitted several designs (which you can see below) and a sample item, and have been chosen to create some hair grips for the event! Essentially my second commission!


My beloved Seaside Pride themed Union Jack Purse



I chose two predominant themes to represent Blackpool, Seaside Pride and Blackpool Lights. The first was centered around Blackpool being a staple of British holidaying; the lovable rogue in the makeup of our national identity. Bright and breezy are definite connotations of the resort, so I opted for a colourful take on the Union Jack, using tango orange grosgrain ribbon to signify the sand and sun of the town, as well as the football team (the Tangerines, of course!) along with white double satin ribbon and thin rainbow grosgrain ribbon which reminds me of the Gay Pride and general vibrancy of the town. I made a purse, brooch and hair grips using this theme, which you can see below. The purse was by far my favourite design and I made myself a version anyway! Unfortunately it didn't make it through the selection process; however, I will be making something very similar again and putting it up for sale on Folksy so if you're interested e-mail me and let me know! I'd be very glad to hear from you.



The inside of my Seaside Pride Purse



The other theme I used, Blackpool Lights, was inspired by some ribbon I came across in my local haberdashers, Blacks, which is entitled 'Party Time' and instinctively reminded me of the famous Blackpool Illuminations. So I used this black satin ribbon featuring multi-coloured polka dots on top of the tango grosgrain ribbon to create a powerful contrast. In this theme I only submitted a brooch and hair grips, but the hair grips (in both themes) made it through!

Party Time Ribbon which will feature in the Blackpool Lights theme of my hair grips



Although I'd have been delighted to see my union jack purse for sale in the boutique I can't deny that it would have been a lot of time and effort as the stitching on each piece is very intricate and would have made it difficult to create more than just a few items.



Soon however I will be displaying images of the first completed hair grips. My ribbon is ordered and on its way and I'm looking forward to getting cracking on a new project! In the meantime peruse my designs below and if you have any questions do get in touch...

 



My Seaside Pride Union Jack Brooch



My selected hair grips designs

Spring Bunnies

Owing to my profound lack of cash at the moment, you will already be aware that making presents for people has become both a well beloved past time and a financial necessity. And so it was no different when my best friend turned the dreaded year older...
As a bunny fanatic the only logical answer was something down that path. Having unearthed all of my nana's vintage fabrics not long ago I realised that the bright and fun patterns were perfect for a spring-time birthday and spring-time theme.

You can see that I have gone with my old favourite garland design. I just like the idea that a bland doorway or wall can instantly be improved with a simply string of happy little bunnies! Not to mention that it can be hung anywhere and folds up very small. I spruced up the bun-buns with neck bows and sequins for eyes, padded them with Vilene, and in addition created a beautiful little glamour bun of a brooch (featuring an array of marabou feathers for a bright and bushy tail!). A simple design, once again, but the use of busy patterns works well to give it that truly unique feel. Certainly something you won't find on the high street.

Although I said this making presents lark has come out of necessity, the truth is, however, that I now no longer fear occasions the way I used to. That probably sounds silly to the very shopping-friendly of you, who love lavishing gifts and money on people! And that's not to say I don't; I in turn love to give things and surprise friends with a display of generosity. But what I love more than that simple act, is knowing I'm giving something that's truly them. The thought of having to buy a present for someone always filled me with fear because I resent having to spend time (and money) looking around chain stores in order to find something which I can just about excuse as being an item they might give a second glance to. Nothing I could find would ever live up to an even better idea I had in my head. And now I don't have that worry! True freedom!

If you can get over the fact that there's a small possibility in your head that said friend could have reason to accuse you with stinginess, merely shrug it off with the validation that, unlike so many others can afford in the modern day, you have been generous with your time...

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...