Thursday 25 November 2010

Crocheting & more Organza flowers

Hi Ya!
Hope you're having a good week. Many thanks to Angela & Bonnie for your comments about my flowers so far.
Go on, Angela, join up!! its fun! you know you want to!! Hee hee!!

So I am droping in quickly today, to show you two organza flowers I made last night.
I went and got some buttons and some more supplies, and I discovered a remnant of this wonderful, irresdesant  lovely, weirdy fabric a type of organza  ...I'll start again! I've grabbed my dictionary and yes the fabric is truely iridescent  "displaying a spectrum of colours that shimmer and change...as the observer's position changes"  Its a gorgeous turquoise, and so I thought I'd see how that heats up! Ewwww! does it smell!!! and it melted so fast!! it was scary!! But eventually I managed to shape it as I desired and it's made a really lovely flower.


                  It's really hard to see how its iridescent here, in fact, its near on impossible to capture at all!

The next one I made with silver & turquoise organza's and teal tulle. I love these new buttons I found!
I have no immediate use for these flowers as yet, although I may turn this one into a brooch to wear on a lovely grey woollen tunic I have.

Then early evening, as I finished these flowers, I saw a new lesson up and I did a little happy dance when I saw the title 'crochet flower'. yay!
But it is tricky! Its not been without its struggles and little sighs and frustrated 'arrggghh's' haha!!
I still haven't finished or made a flower yet, and the trouble I have is when it comes to adding the next colour, one looked like a star!! I haven't kept all my attempts as most were unravelled, but here's the beginnings of the 5th & 6th. the 'middle' bit, which just don't look right to me. Is that because I've yet to complete it?? I've tried adding the second colour to do the next stage, but I have unravelled it 3 times now, as looks too loopy & holey.

The one on the right is the latest. It's smaller because I realised I was adding too many chain stitches, I looked on another site that Bonnie suggested Attic24, and I followed along her instructions, and the one on the right is meant to look like this Img_0388_sm (photo by Lucy Attic 24)
and it doesn't look as tight and neat like this. Why?? Any ideas??
Anyway....
I'm going to work on it some more. I'm going to change my wool that I'm using to a finer 'yarn' and see if that has any effect.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions for me! I do love hearing from you.
Until next Time
Em Xx

Tuesday 23 November 2010

'Pocket Full Of Posies' Flower Class

Hello!
Hope you're all ok.
As I said in a previous post I'm taking part in Bonnie's flower class, making different types of flowers from different fabrics.
I've really enjoyed what I've learnt so far, and I think now I know how, I'll never have to buy a fabric flower for anything ever again! Ha Ha!
First Lesson we had was to make a flower out of felt, a little rose.
Oh my, it was so easy and simple! i've made two so far, but it would be quite easy to make up a whole batch of them! and it wouldn't take long either.

I finally have fixed my beloved camera! I needed a new lens as the motor had gone in the other one, so the actually camera was fine. Thank Ebay, I found a bargain replacement lens, and so I am happy to quit moaning about quality of photo's etc! haha!
So here are the first two felt roses I made :


Then for the next lesson we learnt how to make loopy pom pom flowers for a brooch, I printed out the instructions and made it while watching Fringe, and I think I've made a mistake along the way as it doesn't look right. I think I got the measurements wrong for the top layer.  But its my first attempt, so I'll have another go soon.

I added a brad in the middle as I haven't got any nice buttons at the moment, I must get some more! 

Then the next lesson was for this organza & tulle flower, which was really fun to make as we had to hold the fabric over a naked flame! and oh yes does that tulle smell !!

 I really like this one, although I wish I had bought more colours! I saw a remnant basket of netting and organza and thought it would be fine, and it was plenty,but I didn't really think properly (probably due to having my little one sitting in his buggy grabbing everything he could reach!) and I didn't really get tulle and organza that co-ordinate.
The light blue and burgandy is ok, but I'm not fond of the colours together, personally ( hope I'm not offending any West Ham supporters!!)
I also cheated a little here too, I added a brad in the middle and used that to hold it together rather than stitching it together, as like I said I don't have any pretty buttons or stamens, and I do really love these pearly brads. So get used to seeing them!!
I got some from my local craft store then saw that on Ebay you can get more for half the price! arrgghhhh!! hate it when that happens!!
Incidently, my local craft store, which I must say is good as it caters for so many hobbies - fabric mainly and wool, but also paper craft stuff too.
Its called "The Cheap Shop", but its actually genrally more expensive than anywhere else!! you never get a bargain in there, but its handy as it does everything, although its not as bad as Hobbycraft. A new one has opened up near me, Mum & I excitedly went along, and found it so overpriced and just not alot of choice. They sold cuttlebugs but only 2 dies!

Anyway, I have digressed, so I need better co-ordinating colours and more buttons!!

I really do recommend Bonnie's class. Its self-paced and her instructional video's are very easy to follow. And she's just such a lovley sweet person, its a joy to just sit and listen to her!!
So go on, treat yourself, its only $15 for the class, and I must say, just what I've learnt so far has saved me ALOT of money on gifts and embellishments, as anything can be done with these flowers.
Today I was wearing the loopy pom pom brooch on my purple crocheted beanie hat, looked v.1920's!!
And I gave Mum the little organza & tulle flower, as it matches her colour scheme (the burgandy) and she attached it to a teddy that sits on her armchair and looked so cute!

I am still eagerly awaiting, hooks and wool at the ready, for how to make the crocheted flowers. I am currently knitting a chocolate brown cushion cover at the moment, and I'll be attaching the crocheted flowers to it when I am finished.

So, no card making at the moment, although my supply of cards I've made is dwindling! 
But I have invitations to a jazz evening to make, and cool table decorations for that also, I am making these by the very talented Veronica, (who I came accross because she's doing the flower class too I really like her blog, its so inspiring.)
So,  with the rest of the flower class, I have lots to keep me busy!
Although I have become a little bit addicted to Spider Solitaire again on my PC. I clicked on it by accident a few weeks ago and its so additive. A few times I've managed to get a score lower than 100 (even 95 once!)  which is really quite an achievement, one of my bro-in-laws said he has never got below 100! I know its so sad isn't it!! haha!
but I do like to have a quick few games. I always know when I've played too much when I start dreaming about it.... Tossing and turning and yelling "Nooo, a King is on the card I need,....I can't move...I, I, I HAVE NO MORE CARDS!! "*waking up sweating and terrified* hahaha!
Ok. Annnnd that'll be a good place to end today!
Have a good week, and I'll post back when I've made some more things to show

Take Care
Em Xx




Monday 8 November 2010

bakin' but no makin'

HI Everyone,

I hope you had a good weekend.
I've decided today that I think Sunday is my least favourite day! Its a day of rest for everyone but me so it seems!!! but enough with the whinging!! I'm glad its over!!

So I've not been up to much crafty wise. I had one of those weeks, last week, where I've been so busy and nothing has been finished!!
I started on my blind, only to discover when I got Mum's sewing machine out that the pedal wasn't in there. sigh.
So I moaned to her about it only to find that actually I had it last and hadn't put it back in the case!!! D'oh!! (sorry Mum!) So its somewhere in my house!

We started decorating last weekend previous, and still haven't got it finished as Hubby was really ill and had to do extra work too, but he felt better Saturday and got some more of it done. I'm not complaing that its not been done, but its a pain having the room upside down!

I lost my phone too. I turned my home inside out looking for and I this morning after 10 days of searching for it, I finally found it! 
I'd had awful feeling that my little 3 year old son had got hold of it and dropped it, and it got scooped up with all the stripped soggy wallpaper and thrown out!!
It wasn't thrown out but I was right about him getting it. It was in a little lunch tub and had fallen somehow behind the pc tower!! I found it there as I was vacuuming today! I'd never have looked for it there!!!
Little Sam was so pleased I'd found it and offered to hide it again!!

I didn't realise how much I depend on it, well, ok I do know how much, as I've missed it! especially for my alarm in the morning. I've been getting up at 6am with Hubby, otherwise I'd sleep until 10am!! But that's been a good habit to get into if I'm honest. 
Hubby said he worried when I went out, as 'anything could happen' and dreaded the thought of the police coming to tell him I'd had an accident' ...ahh bless he does worry!!
I thought that was just my job!! haha!

I didn't have any time to make any cards last week, but I did make some cookies with the boys....they stood with their little aprons on, grasping wooden spoons, eagerly waiting for bowl to lick!!hahaha!!

                                             yeah, they didn't stay around for long!!!

So, as much as this past week was a bit hectic, what I am REALLY looking forward to this week is Friday. I'm eagerly anticipating the start of Bonnie's new class!! Yay!


Aren't they lovely flowers?? Want to learn how to make them all by yourself??!!
The class is all about making these flowers from felt, organza, fabric, crochet, and lots more things too.


I like to think my hints to her helped make this class come about!....'oh I'd love how to crochet'..... 'your crocheting is soooo good, I'd love how to do that' ....'please teach me'.. and so on!! I think she did the class just to shut me up!! hahaahah!! (as if! she probably had it all planned ages ago!)
So if you want to join in too please see Bonnie's blog here, (or click on the pictures above)
of how to join up for the class. G'on, you know you want to!!
I can't wait for it to start and I'm planning to stock up on supplies so that I'm all ready for Friday.
Come back soon to see what I learn!! I can't wait! Have I said that already?!!!
Take Care