30 Days of Creativity - Days 27 to 30

July is here and my month of creativity is over! Not that I will stop being creative, of course!

We have been tidying this week and, after all the paperwork sorting, have "created" a bin bag full of shredded paper and several carrier bags full of junk mail waiting for the next recycling collection. 

I was going to ask if anyone had any bright ideas for using up this pile of 'rubbish' but decided that I don't need another hobby just yet! 

Maybe we should just get a hamster...

Anyway, here's a round up for the last few days.

Day 27 - I made a mixed pair of Liberty fabric covered hairclips for a returning customer with the fabrics she chose...

...they seem to have gone down well.

Day 28 - On Thursday, I had another dip into the box of felt scraps and made some felt hairclips in a different style.

Day 29 - On Friday, I got a delivery of new bits and pieces including some mobile tops.

So I decided to make a few sketches of ideas for using them. 

Will have to get on with making a few of them now!

Day 30 - I decided it was time to do something with an ice-cream-tub-ful of candle leftovers that have been driving my other half nuts for months! I just can't bear to throw away the remains of candles, especially when it seems that more than half of the wax is left once the wick has burned through the middle.

So this week I finally bought some wicks ready to make new candles. 

I spent a happy few hours melting some of the candle pieces and pouring the wax into some empty candle holders. The resulting candles are not very beautiful (the inevitable result of mixing wax of different colours!) but I am quite happy with them.

Next time I will try and keep the colours seperate. I have a large bag of yellow wax and lots of blue still to use, so the resulting candles should be a little more attractive.

This has turned into quite a long post! I shall leave what I have learned from my week of creativity for another post.

30 Days of Creativity

I have decided to take part in 30 Days of Creativity 2012. The name sums it up really! As their website says:

"30 Days of Creativity is a global social initiative encouraging people to create stuff (anything) every day for 30 days in June. 2012 is our 3rd year. We hope to make it a big one.

Your brain is like a muscle. When you exercise it, it gets stronger."

And why, you may be asking, have I decided to take part?

Well, as usual, there are several reasons. 

There's the Arty reason: I'd like to spend time developing new ideas and working with new mediums in order to expand my skills beyond my current range. 

(That sounds good, doesn't it? I think I'll use that - if anyone asks!)

Then there's plain old fun. I'll get to play with new materials and let my ideas run wild. I'll get to see what others have created.

It will be a challenge. I think it will be interesting to see if I can complete the challenge, if I can think of something new to create every day, if I can push myself beyond my comfort zone, if I can allow myself to make mistakes and if I can actually get stuff finished!

It will be good for networking: I'll get to see the work of artists and crafts-people from around the world who are all working on the same challenge. 

There's one more reason. And I'm a little bit reluctant to admit it. My other reason is this:

This enticing heap of goodies represents a proportion of my "stash" of crafting bits and pieces. Quite a small proportion I'm afraid to say. 

In this pile you have probably spotted beads, buttons and sequins,...

 

...fat quarters, 1in strips and selvedges,...

 ...embroidery cottons, ribbons,...

...and a box of felt scraps.

The felt scraps sum up the whole pile really. In my push towards organisation, I was encouraged by my other half to put a note in this box. The note said "If these haven't been used by the 5th May - THROW THEM AWAY".

Now obviously, as the box is on the table, I haven't managed to keep that deadline (probably shouldn't have reminded the OH of the date...) In fact the box is more full now than it was when I wrote the note - I blame the felt bears (to be honest it's usually a bear's fault, one way or another...).

So my real reason for joining 30 Days of Creativity? To justify the existence of my stash. To give meaning to all the scraps and off-cuts and bits and pieces that I have held onto on the off-chance that they will come in useful one day.

This challenge has a lot riding on it. I'll keep you posted, and let you know how I get on. I'll be adding pictures of my creations to the 30DoC Pinterest board and I'll try to blog as often as I can. You can find out more at the website or by following @createstuff or #30DoC on Twitter. You might even want to join in!

"Stuff"

My second fair was completed successfully on Friday. I said I'd share the new improved stall, so here it is...

I think the black linen shows off the bears (and other items) much better. Adding height to the bear display improved customers' perceptions of the little critters...

It will need further tweaking and probably a banner of some kind, bunting seems very popular this year... Anyway, lots to think on before the next fair. I am feeling far more positive about the whole craft selling thing and will be looking at places to sell on-line, although this may take some time (sooooo many options!).

After the craft fair (and an observation from Lorna) I have also decided it is time for an experiment - or perhaps that should be exbeariment - time to design and make a larger bear...

So - now that I have a project that motivates, interests and challenges me - life keeps throwing "stuff" in the way! Just to reassure you, this is not the self-inflicted "stuff" otherwise known as procrastination. This is the "stuff" that is unavoidable; the "stuff" that I have been putting off due to craft fair preparation. So I have been attempting to tackle the "stuff": I spent a long day getting my car back from its major surgery; I am slowly regaining control after the invasion of craft fair bits into our living space; and I am gradually catching up with the cleaning.

When I'd far rather be working on this...

This (if all works according to plan) will be a 10in (25cm) bear. I am practising with synthetic fur and attempting to make a non-jointed floppy bear. This will be a first and I am actually enjoying the excitement of creating something that could be a complete disaster! I've got the foot pads to sew before I can turn him right side out to find out if the work so far has been a success. As far as I know I have a quiet day tomorrow so I'll let you know how the turning goes...

My mum and sister have been having a creative/craft week together quilting, designing and creating. Check out Mum's blog to see how they get on (Work in Progress, Day Two, Third Day, Update!, Finale).

Elephants marching through my dreams...

I have spent the last week covering notebooks. This is not, perhaps, the most inspiring of projects but very necessary as I would like to do a craft fair soon. The main drawback of taking miniature teddy bears to a craft fair is that my entire stock would only fill a space the size of an A4 sheet of paper: not really an eye catching display on the average table! So I have been busily making other fabric items that will take up that extra space. 

Don't get me wrong, I do like the notebooks. The overall effect is good and they have a nice finish to them. It's just that another project has been haunting me since it popped into my head and if it wasn't for my OH's very sensible veto on experiments until the table-fillers were completed, I wouldn't have covered any notebooks at all!

Yesterday I finally reached a satisfactory notebook count so was allowed to spend the afternoon on something else. So naturally the experimental project was given some time. Well quite a lot of time actually...

All year I have been making elephants: 

small felt elephants; 

 

 the YDC Mystery elephant for the March charity auction on eBid; 

and a small Liberty fabric elephant (as-yet-unfinished).

But there is another elephant: one that I have been drawing since I was a child. I don't know where it came from but this elephant has always been very close to my heart. So I thought I'd give it a go. After a few quick sketches, I cut out the templates and ultrasuede and started to sew. I was expecting that this attempt would be very much a prototype so that I could see how to change the pattern to get the right shape but actually I have surprised myself.

Apart from slightly bruised finger tips (the ultrasuede is quite stiff to work with), sewing and turning was easier than I expected...

the shape is good, although perhaps a tiny bit wide across the crown of the head...

 

and the trunk worked very well.

 Now all this elephant needs is a body...

Flower inspirations

It is not often that I can say that flowers have inspired my work. 

This beautiful little flower, growing happily in a meadow garden in Avranches in France, may prove to be the exception. I think it is some form of Cranesbill, or wild Geranium. I just love the striking contrast between the crisp white and the deep purple...

And these delicate Hydrangea flowers with their butterfly-like blossom...

And last but not least a bright little flower, Meadow Saffron, nestling in the shade of Westonbirt Arboretum's native woodland...

These small sparks of colour and beauty have found a place amongst the other ideas that float around inside my head. One day they may just form themselves into a new creation - when they do I'll let you know!