holiday stuff from threads magazine

this week i saw a lovely article in threads magazine using a weaving technique. i have done weaving before but not quite like this. the loom is made from a cheap (99p shop) box canvas. i hammered nails into the back of the frame, as the frame is made from really soft wood it was really easy to make, you could even just push pins in if  you dont have nails. the piece in the magazine was used to decorate a bag and was very pretty.

i used a selection of odd bits of wool and threads,  i started off in the middle  and used the first thread to make the curved shape and them ever thing else followed after, changing shape as i went. the process is a bit like woven tapestry  as you actually work from the back, so you dont know what it is going to look like until it is finished and off the 'loom'.

when it was finished i backed it with vylene to hold it all together.

a couple of things i would have done differently is not use the onange  weft threads and  maybe make the sky a bit smaller and try and keep the edges a bit more even, this is difficult because the threads are all different thicknesses..... still next time !!!

50 down lots to go

well this week i am very sad to say i have made nearly 40 christmas cards.

probably only have to make about 100 more, but probably not for a few days at least! these cards are very simply made (making this many they need to be).

i have so much 'stuff ' to use up that last january i made about 150 cards and i still have so much to use up. i also like to re-use parts of the cards i recieve.... in the spirit of make do and ment and re-cycling etc. etc. i would be boring at this time of year to show them all. the card on the right is a photo i took earlier in the year of  a fire thorn bush in my garden. the berries have glitter on and some i made i used glossy accents as well, the backing card is randomly stamped and sprayed with perfect pearls mist.

the left card is reclaimed card  and greeting, the snowman is stampes and coloured with aqua promarkers and glitter.

the next 4 cards are really basic, the snow man card is a reclaimed card with part of the back ground punched out with a snow flake punch, i wa sgoing to throw away the card after i had punched out the snow flakes but decided i likd the card as it was and just glued it to a card blank.

happy holidays

i am on holiday from work this week, it is so horrible and cold out that i think i will jusy stay at home and craft!!!! good idea! my hubby is off too so i won't be crafting  all the time, (some one has to make the coffee!).

anyway the first thing i have done is finish a waistcoat i was knitting, i was very pleased with the result, it had a crochet edging which i had not done before.

 i didin't have any buttons that matched (but hundreds that didn't) so i decided to cover some with utee. it was brilliant.

 i loved them, they are quite lumpy, but in a good way. the picture is not brilliant.

 the utee is actually cosmic shimmer in a copper colour. the button was flat so i stamped on top with a swirl stamp.  i inked  it with stazon green  and pressed it on the button while it was still warm. the only down side was, it was quite tricky holding the shank of the button with tweezers

so i didn't burn my fingers!

tomorrow i am going to start my christmas cards, yes i did say christmas cards!!!

free tickets to give away

hi world
i have 2 free tickets to give away, for the stitch and creative crafts show at sandown park on 22 -24 th jan. i won the tickets in a magazine give away but cannot go now 'coz my daughter is coming home for the weekend. if you would like them e mail me your address and i will post them to you , be quick though as it is next week. looks like it will be a good day as lots of suppliers are going to be there.
i have been poorly with bad head cold today (stayed in bed till 3 o'clock and i NEVER  do that) so no crafting on my day off  . . . .shame!!!!
janet