Commission update

Take a look at how I'm getting on with my latest commissions with my weekly progress photos.


Dn's bus - week 1

DN's bus - week 2

DN's bus - weeks 3 & 4

DN's bus - weeks 5 & 6
Getting there now

Year of the ... bunny

Trying to think of a headline for this post that had something to do with being happy, babies and rabbits was a bit difficult!  First of all I thought 'jumping for joy', but rabbits hop and 'hopping mad' didn't sound appropriate somehow!  And 'hopping for joy' just sounded silly.  And anything to do with breeding and rabbits was a bit crude!  So, following a (very crowded) visit to Chinatown over the weekend to experience the Chinese New Year celebrations I decided to use that idea as my heading.
Anyway, to get to the point, although it is now the Year of the Snake, for a number of our friends 2013 seems to be the year to start their families.  So, I've been stitching cards again and have found a rather cute rabbit motif to use (which is a lot nicer than stitching a snake!).  I rather liked the little chick I stitched for our other friends' baby but decided against using it this time for the birth of our friends' little girl.
Then another couple we know have had twins (a boy and a girl), so I reversed the colours and stitched two, side by side, one in each colour (although normally I don't favour blue for a boy, pink for a girl - I'm all for equality and bought my eldest DN a pink babygro when he was born - much to my BIL's chagrin!!).

So, we're hopping for joy for the new additions to our friends' families - even if it does sound a little odd!

Pay it forward 2013

Since the New Year I've noticed quite a few posts on Facebook about this. If you haven't come across them, they say something like this:
Pay it forward 2013!
I promise to make something handmade for the first five people who comment.  They must in turn post this and make somthing for the first five who comment on their status.
* The rules are it has to be made by you, and they must receive it before 2013 ends.

Initially I thought, I've more than enough to do as it is and I don't want to feel under pressure to make stuff.  But the more of these posts I saw, the more I thought about it.  And as I've been merrily stitching some little objects recently, I've realised that they don't necessarily have to be huge undertakings (and you'll more than likely have to consider postage for them too).  So, as a 'crafty' person, I've been persuaded to give it a go after all and posted my message on my FB page last week.  I've had a few takers - one for a charity my friend supports - and I've already a fair idea of what I'm going to make those who've shown an interest.

I suppose, now it will just be a matter of getting on with it (although, I do have best part of 11 months to give them to my friends!).

The key to it all

One of my aims this year is to finally do something with some of the supplies I've bought (no prizes for guessing where!) after having some 'bright idea' about making stuff to sell for charity or something and have ended up just storing for years on end.

Lavender pot

The stash!

Well, amongst this stash are some plastic key rings (and there are some fridge magnets here too).  I can't recall now what I was hoping to raise money for - probably something to do with my church - but they have remained untouched more or less since I got them!

Well, now the time has come to change all that and I've been looking for small enough motifs to stitch on them and wondered what on earth I could depict on them. Thankfully this month's Cross Stitcher has come to the rescue with a booklet of small designs for self-cover buttons, but I'm sure they'll look just as good on a key-ring.

Cardiff Blues keyring

However, it was obvious really. What are key rings for?  For keys of course, so why on earth I didn't think of making them into labels for keys, I've no idea.  So, with a bit of luck, I'll soon have some handy little tabs with cute and practical clues to what the keys are for ... front door, back door, shed, garage, car, cellar, bike, suitcase ... and goodness knows what else I'll think of!

DH also suggested that I make something for his dad, and I'd been wondering what I could make since I made things for most of the family for Christmas.  He's a big rugby fan, so DH sugggested something to do with his favourite team, the Cardiff Blues.  I must admit, I'm quite proud of how it has turned out considering the size and anything curved on a grid of squares is a bit of a nightmare.  I just hope I won't get into trouble for any breach of copyright!!

Valentine or Dwynwen?

I hadn't planned to be making cards this month, but as I was pottering the other day I came across some little motifs that I fancied trying out.  Then, following a conversation with DH I decided that instead of buying him a card for the Welsh equivalent of Valentine's day, St Dwynwen's day on 25th January, I'd make him one.

Somehow we've got into the habit of me giving him a card on Dwynwen's day and him giving me a card on Valentine's day.  And when I was teaching Welsh culture etc at the London Welsh School, the kids and I made some cards for Dwynwen's day after learning her story.  They thought it was great that I was making a card for DH!!  So, now that I'm a craft blogger I'm going to try and make him a card every year now.

2013

2012

 While I was stitching away, we received some lovely news about Spanish friends who came to visit us in the autumn.  Their little boy was born at the beginning of the month, so to congratulate them, I've decided to make them a card too (but obviously not a Dwynwen/Valentine one!!).

In fact, I've been enjoying making such quick 'makes', I may start to make more so that we have a stock ready for use.

Has blogging changed my life?

A year ago, in an attempt to get crafting more regularly, I started this blog.  The momentum has been gentle, but over the past 12 months I have certainly been thinking more creatively and, hopefully, more artistically too.  I have accomplished a fair bit, maybe not as much as I'd originally hoped, but I still have to earn a living, attend to our mad cats and keep housework under check after all! 

I'm quite pleased with they way blogging has helped me complete some of my longtime WIPs/UFOs, although I would still like to finish a few more (see here for progress).  It has also given me the chance to think of projects to do in the future (a blogger has to have subjects for future posts in the pipeline!).  There are still a few draft posts that I started months ago, but they will remain as reminders for me of the projects I hope to undertake this year until I get a chance to share them with you.

The last few weeks feel as if the momentum is picking up and I'm posting more regularly, and that can be seen in the increase in page views I've had.  I've been amazed over the last year how widespread my audience has been - believe it or not, it appears that I have had readers on all continents now (bar Antarctica!).  Who would have thought it - people from all over the world interested in what little ol' me is up to in my spare time!

I hope that the next 12 months will be even more productive, that I'll complete more projects and that it will also bring me a few more followers (note the hint there!) and who knows how it will change the way I think, create and live!  For all its ups and downs, blogging was one of the pluses for 2012 and will continue to be for 2013 too.

Getting some balls

I've been telling you all about the stash of craft supplies I have and that I think it is about time that some of it got used up.  Well, here is some of it!

Straw, template and cutter for making straw stars - German style

I tend to buy a lot of my 'stuff' on Ebay - there was a distinct lack of craft and haberdashery shops near me at the time.  And I admit that I've bought some bits when I've had a 'bright idea' about something and then it hasn't come to fruition (e.g. the key rings that I was going to make to sell for charity, but never found charts small enough that I liked).  Other items I've bought one or two of at somewhere like John Lewis when I've had an idea, like the polystyrene balls, and then liked the idea so much that I've bought lots (again on Ebay).  And once again, haven't actually used them all.

So, they are my next target.  I've no idea where I got the string idea from, but it is simple and effective.  Once again, they've adorned my Christmas tree and my parent's tree for years.  I do remember that I first made them when I was sharing a house in Walthamstow.  Anyway, as you can see I've added a bit of bling to the idea by using sequin string too.

I'm not sure how, but our cats got hold of one of the polystyrene balls and have been using it as a toy in our kitchen for over a year now.  As they seem to like them (they tend to make a bee-line for them on the Christmas tree) I think I'll treat them and make them their own string covered toy using jute string (again, another Ebay acquisition).  I even got adventurous and used two colours!