Freegle collection - photos later

Oh how I love freegle!

I put out a shout 2 weeks ago for bits and pieces of material and 'stuff' and got a single reply! Oh dear, I thought, how disappointing. Worse, I couldn't make the date I suggested to pick up the stuff offered and felt like a heel. Fortunately the nice lady emailed me back and offered to leave it out for me to pick up today.

Well.... I am gobsmacked - and you will be when I get it all sorted! Buttons, jewellery, curtains an old woolly kilt and an amazing coat from Afghanistan - very colourful and lined, even after 30 years of life in a bag, I think!

I'll be washing and thinking over the week. It is all lovely and clean but, like much of my own stash, has that stored smell (which is nice, like old books, but probably won't sell well) so photos and ideas for it all will be up soon.

But I have to say, Freegle helps you meet the most amazingly generous people (or not quite meet, if you see what I mean).

Hopefully I'll get more over summer - my ideas list has growed like Topsy!

Oh my how time flies

And I have done so little with it! Well, I have been beavering away in the day job, suffering from a horrendous sore throat and loss of voice (yet again). I shall be ready for my holidays! I may even get to the gym on a regular basis rather than the once a week I have been managing!

So I am having another go at procrastinating and putting off until next year what could be done today!

I have been doing a little bit of stuff (mainly gardening so not being put here, I have another blog for that!) and here it is:

I took this material and cut out the flowers for a later project.

Then I sat, snuffling, and grabbed glue, thread, buttons and some hair clips and made these.

 

I shall be sorting out all my stash now - it is escaping and I can't spot what I need. So I'll spend a weekend doing that - must get some shelving first thoug (see, I put anything off!).

I picked up some great material from a car boot, Laura Ashley bed set and curtain material for a fiver. Oh I have to do something great with that! 

Pictures of sorted stash will follow, when I have it all washed, ironed and sorted.

A promise

This week I will make on at least 3 days.

I will be out in the garden in the mornings, 6 - 7.30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (bit of kickboxing on the back to finish off) and gym on Tuesday and Thursday morning.

When I get back from work I will get crafty. Here's my first two days:

Monday: clean the sewing machine and move more stash to its new home. Then select a couple of makes and materials - possibly a needle book from nanaCompany I know they aren't difficult, I made a few as a kid. But I want to start doing something useful that would get me into using the machine a bit and maybe hand sewing again, these include both. I could even use the new machine foot and do some free motion embroidery! God knows I lose enough pins!

Tuesday: Select material and start first make - report back and don't forget the piccies!

Secret Easter Bunny swap

Well... I have had a couple of weeks.

I have lost internet for a week and been drive slightly batty by the presence of a square brown package sent to me by a Secret Easter Bunny from UKCraftsforum swap.

Now I can reveal what I got... and what I sent.

First what I received. A little bit of detective work tells me that Bodrighy made it, thanks Pete, they are lovely.

I know my chickens did not lay that yew egg. It's beautiful and I read the instructions carefully and have stroked and polished it, it works, I feel less stressed!

As for the mini vase (walnut) - it is lovely. I am going to make a little posy for it. I will make on later in the year form dried flowers I think. Meanwhile mini buttons might look OK.

As for what I made, well, what a trial! I had grandiose ideas and got the sewing machine all warmed up. But sadly nothing turned out as I wanted it. I now have some unfinished slightly clunky looking storage thingies sitting around... waiting.

So I sat down in something of a panic and thought... what on earth could I do? I twiddled and fussed and, to be honest, slightly panicked. Had I let myself get into a situation where I would have to let someone down? I hate that, really hate it!

I was sorting out my fabric stash into colourways and then moved onto the button tin when inspiration struck!

A little dab of glue and earrings arrived. A bit more and I had a brooch.

But it wasn't good enough. I needed more. I was twiddling and sorting and pondering when more buttons sort of fell into place. Some stringing elastic and all as done. I was a happy bunny!

But then doubt crept in. Was that really enough to send to a real, professional crafter? Noooooooooooooooo. Far too easy, small and insignificant. So I sat and continued to sort out the stashy overflow. 

Then I found something that made me think... plastic stuff, I think it is used for cross stitching. Why I have it I have no idea, I don't like doing cross stitch!! But it made me think..... what could I do with it?

 A happy thinking hour later I got to my bits box and contemplated the wire samples I got from Wires, could I string some buttons into a something? But a what? Ah ha! A pendant. Wire plus cross stich plastic stuff plus buttons and there you go! I was somewhat pleased with myself. Here is the collection complete, I hope my SEB receiver likes them!

 Oh, before I forget. Part of the SEB brief was to wrap the gift carefully or, if you can't, get someone to do it for you. Well I fall into the can't wrap to save my life category. So I had another problem. Then I remembered a giveway I had won. Kat from With U in Mind had sent the gift in two lovely little pockets, so I brazenly used one to package the buttony bits in. The colours were a perfect match, it felt like cheating, big time, but needs must and all!

Thank you Kat, I am very, very grateful, and not a little embarrassed!

I didn't stop there though. I had some green buttons I quite liked. But I couldn't find a lot of matching so I started again with some blue buttons. I have worn the set for about a week now and people comment on the pendant a lot, so I think I have found a 'thing' I could do more of.

All in all I really enjoyed the SEB swap. Thanks to Beads by Design for organising it. I loved the whole scary experience!

Blog Hopping

Well. I am just sat here blog hopping. I am making a secret thing for a swap and am wandering around looking for some inspiration for finishing details. It's fun, time wasting and just perfect for a miserable dark grey day!

Well, I got sidetracked as you do and found myself looking at other peoples favourite blogs. I hadn't realised there were so many card crafters out there! Being a fabric freak I did find some nice things and some great new blogs to follow:

Modest Maven has some lovely tutes, I've added her to my blog list cos I don't want to miss anything.






Ros is just amazing, I love the material. Sadly my mum doesn't have a garden - but I do!

Bugsandfishes is sharing things her customers have made and I have to admit that whilst some of it is too pretty for me I love the simplicity of a lot of it. She has a nice line in felty tutes too!

Obviously that reminded me of Annie and Lyn at rosiepink - it seems they are being too creative to be spring cleaning! Well, I am blog hopping to the same ends


That was also a natural hint to go and look at what Helen has been up to... though I suspect I will really regret this...... yes! I am so going to have to make some bags at half term!


I usually search for textiles at some point... and that is when I got lost and forgot to keep track of where I had been! So I am off out for a while. I need to buy some cleaning stuff - I WILL spring clean this week!

I can't do anything

I am so buried under marking coursework! I have so many things to do, like taking piccies of my lovely new jewellery Jules sent me. I will do it Jules, promise.

I have so many crafty ideas going through my head. I have an ideas journal but it isn't doing anything for me. I despair! Or I did until I found Mythillogical's blog, I will now simply back engineer whatever I make. Hopefully drawing and deconstructing stuff will help me get my mind's eye in!

But I think it will be April before I get to start anything again! Aaaaaaaaaaaargh. I almost wish I hadn't started this! I am so conflicted. Work : craft : work : craft  eeeeeeeeeeeeek!

Mind you, the evenings are getting longer.... mabe there is hope!

Oh!

Liebster Blog Award

I was a tad stunned to receive poke from Kat from With U in Mind.   She had decided to include me in her list of 5 small bloggers that inspire. Given that I am such a procrastinating blogger I was delighted that something I type and make makes someone smile! Thanks Kat xx

So there are some rules that go with this award. However they are nice rules. Not the kind that gives you urge to press the big red button saying 'please do not press'.

The rules for this award are:
1. You must link back to the person who gave it to you - yep, did that
2. Put the award on your blog - uh huh. Logo and link included
3. Pass it on to 5 other blogs who inspire you and have less than 200 followers  - ah!
4. Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know - OK

5 blogs.... I don't really blog hop that much (she lies).

So here we go:

Dragonfly-Jersey you only have to look at my logo to know why. Sarah is so generous (and talented)

Handbags by Helen cos she makes great bags and laughs at my unsuccesful attempts not to leap in!

Amigurami Barmy well, you see bags and buttons.... they just fit. I don't know how Liz survives surounded by so many buttons and other crafty bitses...... I wouldn't be able to breathe!  I have updated this link, thanks Liz!!

Kayleigh's Homemade Life cos she has some great ideas and has been a bit quiet recently. Having nicked a couple of ideas I hope this says thanks!


The English Country Garden Steve's nan's recipes are great, I've made some, yum yum (and his wood stuff is brilliant too)

I'm now off to let them know... and set them the gnarly problem of picking 5 of their own!