made = clay mobile

continuing my fling with clay, i've made a mobile

mobiles are meant to be innocent and childish
so i kept mine simple and naive in keeping with that feeling

this was fiddly task
threading the hand made bead stars onto the wire, painting each one...
i could go on but i won't bore you
nevertheless, i think it was worth it

made = christmas wishing star

did someone dare to say christmas?
well, it is almost november after all, so it's allowed now, surely?
i'm hoping to have a christmas craft stall and i'm preparing some stock
this is one of my first makes - it's a clay base with gold leaf and stamped lettering

what do you think?

DIY = 'quote' tote

this is fabulous and easy
it's also infinitely customisable with your favourite saying or quote

you will need:
a plain tote
2 contrasting colours of fabric paint
pencil or dissolvable fabric marker
paintbrush (s)
newspaper
masking tape

layer the masking tape horizontally across the bag
you could measure and use less masking tape, but i'm lazy
remove alternate strips of tape to create a row that you can colour

with your pencil or dissolvable fabric marker, draw a speech bubble 
make the bubble large enough to contain your words

blend your fabric paint to the shade you like

place a sheet of paper or some newspaper inside in case your paint leaks through
paint the strips up to your  pencil lines and masking tape 
make sure you don't paint into your speech bubble

when you've done the lot, hold it up to the light to show weak spots that need a touch more paint
allow to dry

paint the outline of your speech bubble in black
go over any bits that don't 'take'
i stripped off the masking tape as i went
wait 'till that is dry before lettering otherwise you'll track the black paint EVERYWHERE

it should end up like this, waiting for your message

now it's time to letter
i did this free-hand but you could use a stencil
as you can see it may need a couple of coats to create bold lettering

once your words are painted
allow to dry fully (according to your paint recommendations)
use a hot iron to press/seal the paint after drying
don't rush the lettering if you are doing it free-hand or you could make a mistake
(i made a spelling mistake with this one - weep!)
so i'll show the final picture of one i made earlier

what will yours say?

paper + card = father's day card

i made my dad this father's day card.  

i had spent a fair bit of time making him a present too, so I wanted something quick but effective.

i always do him a card with a nautical theme as he was in the navy and we share a love of historical naval fiction. 

he loved it.

here is the process:

 

 

 

When I rubbed out the pencil I was, at first, annoyed that the pen ran 

(I clearly didn't wait long enough for the ink to dry - typical)

but then I realised it looks like mist and added to the effect.

And frankly, parents are the most forgiving when it comes to artistic errors, it's their job!

Tinkety Tonk

DIY craft = clay gift tag

i'm having a bit of a clay thing going on at the moment
i think i might be in love
it's such a forgiving medium
and you can produce something really chic in a very short time
which is always good in my book

you'll need:
air drying clay
a small shape for indenting a motif (mine was a small heart bead)
a pin for creating a thread hole
thread of your choice
optional extras:
glitter/gloss to enhance your pressed motif
rolling pin
small circular cutter (mine is a tiny pot)
you could shape the circle and flatten by hand 

roll out your clay to about 1 inch diametre 4mm thickness

press out your coin shape

press in your little motif

create a small hole for thread using a pin or wire

allow to dry and add a touch of glitter

Add your thread

 

 

 

 

Add it to your gift

i'm really pleased with how they turned out - a stylish outcome for little effort

made = iphone Case

Just to prove that I am a serious Pinner

(in other words I actually attempt stuff that I pin on Pinterest), 

BEHOLD:

DIY by Bee-inspired

My version

 I made this as a present for my father's day gift.  

I added an emroidered monogramme - he's called Brian hence the B.

It's not as polished as the original as it is hand sewn and I turned it inside out after hemming the sides as my stitching wasn't as neat as I'd have liked.

Another difference is I mistakenly bought a jean-like button rather than a popper and had no time to go back to the shop, so I had to create a button hole on the strap which took a while.

He loved it!

Tinkety Tonk

DIY = lino cutting

On pay day, I treated myself to some new crafting tools.

Well, you've got to haven't you?

I bought some soft cutting lino and some cheap lino cutting tools.

There were no instructions but it's not rocket science so I just waded in and...

WHOA!

I've got a new pash.

Watch and learn, kids, watch and learn:

(That's meant to be sarcastic by the way, I'm clearly not an expert, it was my first go and I nearly took my finger off - so be careful.)

Sorry about the blurry image above.  

I'm reduced to an old camera after I dropped my phone down the bog.

I LOVE learning new stuff, especially if it's as easy as this.

The possibilities are endless!

Go on get yourself some new kit and watch your fingers.

Tinkety Tonk

paper + card = birthday card with a bonus

 Hello again,

This was a quickie card I made for my aunty Betty.

I hand drew (very casually) the card with tiny nibbed pens.

Then made two slits for the emboidered book mark.

 I pushed the ends through so the felt embellishment was in the middle.

 Here's a close up of the embroidery (I made a few earlier and stashed 'em).

She loved it (as well as the macaroons that I sent which were made by a proper baker!) and that's what matters ain't it?!
Tinkety Tonk

DIY = vintage style shoe clips

I've seen loads of shoe clips on Etsy.  

Some are really lovely and I've made a set before in a very different style.  

 I made the ones below for my sister's borthday for her handmade hamper last month.

Here's a step by step guide to help you make your own:

You will need: 

Thread

Vintage style fabric

Scissors

Shoe clip backs

Hot glue

Cut out two strips of fabric 2inches by 10 inches, fold them in two, (keeping the reverse of the fabric on the outside) and cut the short edges into a rounded triangle shape:

Sew them all the way round leaving a small gap.

 

 Once right side out, sew a hem stitch in the gap you left to close it.

Then cut another rectangle out of the material, 1inch by two and

sew it into a tube (inside out) along the long edge.

Turn it right side out and then sew the ends together to create another smaller tube.

Turn the tube inside out so the hems are hidden.

Fold your long piece of material not quite in half.

Feed your tube over the long piece doubled over to look like this:

Hot glue your shoe clips onto the top edge of your bow (or sew them).

You could attach them to your shoes at the front of back: 

Pretty Feet!

Hope it inspires you to make your own.
Tinkety Tonk

Felt Flower Bouquet

This was something I made for my mum at Easter.

I haven't written a step by step guide but it's colourful and fun thing to make and perfect to lift your spirits on a drizzly tuesday evening!

Here they are individually.

Simple and bright

A great alternative to a tired petrol station bunch

Tinkety Tonk

DIY = linen napkins with easy ribbon rings

What ho!

I made these linen napkins with D ring napkin rings as a birthday gift.

They were simple and stylish.

What you'll need:

Linen 50cm squared x 4

D Rings

Crossgrain Ribbon

Scissors

Needle

Thread (I used embroidery thread) 

Ruler

Here's how I did it:

Tha napkins were straight forward

I cut 50 cm squares of linen fabric 

then I just frayed the ends by removing the threads (about 2cm wide)

if I'd had more time I would have hemmed the edges but if it's good enough for Martha Stewart...

 

 

 

 

 

Tinkety Tonk