Busy doing....

well, not crafting that's for sure, unless you count a bit of needle felting! I had plans for this week  - then hubby came home on Monday night with signs of conjunctivitis! He has been off all week and it is only just clearing up! But.. life goes on and on Tuesday I met up with a group of crafty friends at the Bean and Brush in Sale to look at what we might like to be doing together! We had a good chat and exchange of ideas and we are probably set for a crafty month or two!(and we had CAKE!!!) So decisions made we then got it into our heads to dash across Manchester to Paddy's, where we all picked up some bargains and had bacon butties too!(and me with a sick man at home - I'm a disgrace!!LOL)
Paddy is closing her shop at the end of next week and looking forward to retirement, although she will still be continuing with workshops!
On Wednesday I had my appointment with the diabetic nurse - a complete waste of time, as she was running twenty minutes late and what she told me could have easily been said over the phone - my sugar is down btw(I know - won't be if I keep eating cake!!)
I then had to deliver a friends birthday present so again abandoned hubby!
Thursday was service day for the car so I had to hie myself to Stockport and hang around (in a craft shop he!he!)until it was done! I also picked up some lovely old books including another very old dictionary from a nearby charity shop.
Today (bleugh!) I have had to clean - how can a poorly man make so much mess?
Sooo... here is something I started last week as an experiment to see if a used inky babywipe would hold up to needle felting, YAY! it does. I did a background using different threads,wool etc. I have added the 'flowers' this week.

  the back looks like this

 fungus!
It feels so soft, not sure where it will end up!

I also had a play on a square from a pile of fabric samples I bought at Abakan.

All I did was felt into some of the coloured shapes but..is it just me or can you see a funny little bird in here?

Here is the 'fungus' on the back.

I really hope I can get on with something soon, been reading up on image transferring and can't wait to start, which reminds me, take a look here, some amazing image transfers done by Susan Allan on her new blog.

Thanks for looking, have a lovely weekend, Chris.

I just can't stop...

playing with my needle felting! I went over to Paddy's Stamping Place the other day for more supplies as the colour range I had was limited (couldn't resist some new stamps though)and came home and made this

 and this

Paddy is having a closing down sale at the moment too, with some things on on offer at 25% off and a lot at 50% off. It may be good idea to ring and check opening hours before you go if you are travelling a distance, but there are still bargains to be had and she is hoping to clear a lot more stock. Her number is on her blog here.


I went out with friends last night, we have known each other since our children were babes, and we try to meet up every few weeks for  a meal and a chat. I thought it would be nice to take them a little surprise so I made them these

Margaret has two sailors in her life

I think they liked them...

I had a bit of trauma getting there as I had dropped in to my youngest son's with his partner's birthday card.When I came out I went up to the main road to get to the motorway, got into a wrong lane and had to turn right down a road that seemed familiar so thought I would be ok. Nope! driving along realised it wasn't familiar at all. Anyone sensible would have turned round and gone back but not yours truly:( I battled on till I did find something familiar, but it was so far out of the way, totally wrong direction and it took me ages to get on my way...consequently, late again.... fortunately there had been a mix up with their order so I arrived in time to put my order in with theirs! We all had a great time with lots to catch up on despite only having met up five weeks ago!

Here is the card that caused my downfall LOL

The little sweet jars are recycled wrapping paper, put on to my computer and then onto printable shrink plastic.He is doing well with his weight loss so I thought a little treat like this would be the best way!! He loved it, thank goodness! I used Print shop to make the little birthday banner.

Right off to pick up my new posh specs and then packing before picking up our eldest grandson!

Have a lovely weekend, thanks for looking, Chris.

New Toy!

At last I found the time to nip up to Paddy's Stamping Place in Prestwich(btw she has a stock clearance sale on at the moment) Ages ago I asked her for a needle felting kit and although I knew she had got it I had no time to go up there. On Wednesday I thought I'd better go before she put it in the sale! Sooo yesterday, as well as being a good girl(stretching it there, he he!)and doing some housework(sorry guys had to do it!!)I had a play!

I actually started this at Paddy's way back in February as part of my Burnt Offerings but it didn't look good at all. I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out - if you squint it looks a bit like a stormy scene!

Then I had a go at a seascape - not sure about this either but until I look at it in a few weeks this is how its staying for now.

 The back looks interesting too!

It is so relaxing just sitting with the little brush and the needle!  I nipped into Manchester today and found myself in Abakan(don't know how - it's quite a tidy step from the bus terminus!!)

Bought a bag of felt bits for £2 and these-

I'm hoping I can blend a few colours together with the little teasle brush and I got  a tube of clear beads. I've made myself a little box up to take away so should be really chilled :)

Off to get myself a drink before bedtime!

Thanks for looking, have lovely weekend,

Chris

Burnt offerings

I a have at last finished the two little books that I started at Sylvia Wood's workshop at Paddy's Stamping Place
Well, I say finished but I may well add some more beads etc. but for now I'm quite pleased with how they have turned out. Both were made with Kunin felt, lace and Stuart Gill paints and of course a heat tool. I loved doing this and have already started to make some more.


This is my favourite,I used distress inks to give a burnt look and then added lace and ribbon to some of the pages,I intend putting some sepia family photos in it.

This one will probably be used for little sketches, I have used a combination of hand made papers and wrapping papers for the inside.
I hope you like them, thanks for looking.Off to minister to a recovering Hubby!!

HAVING A BREAK

would be great, but I don't seem to be able, this week has just been a whirlwind of activity - some bad, some good and some just absolutely brilliant!!
On Monday I went to a workshop at Paddy's Place, well...I was amazed, the fantastic Sylvia Woods showed us the most fantastic techniques involving felt, lace and a heatgun and I made the most gorgeous book covers - haven't done much with them yet but here are two of the pieces.


Tuesday was craft at Sale followed by picking up my grandson, Wednesday trying to catch up on housework and washing and another craft club. On Thursday I tried and failed to get to grips with the mountain of craft stuff. Then...on Friday my fabulous youngest son took me to lunch, we started by going to a new place in Manchester - Jack Spratts on a side street near the Town Hall, for coffee and I would recommend it to anyone visiting that area.
In between times I ahve done some work in my journals, including a new one which will be garden based as a tribute to my late Dad


And finally an example of my pearshaped crafting - made a tag and then realised the script stamp was upside down!!!!......


Thanks for looking,
Chris