30 Days of Creativity - Day 7

Just a quick post today. I am so busy with getting ready for CraftFest and with a custom order that has just come in. It leaves very little time for even small creative projects!

A little while ago, I ordered some of the plastic make-your-own buttons thinking that they would be nice covered with Liberty Fabric or a simple embroidery. As is often the way with me, they have sat forlornly in a box ever since. Yesterday, in search of a quick, simple project I thought I'd do a few practice buttons and see if it was worth having a proper go at. 

 

Here are the finished articles.

Couched embroidery cotton

Lazy-daisy stitch embroidery

Liberty fabric covered

Check out everyone else's work here.

30 Days of Creativity - Day 6

Yay! Back up to date with the challenge!

Today I thought I'd use the penguins from yesterday in a new project. 

I have turned the penguin into a felt finger puppet. 

Having cut out the pieces, I blanket stitched them together. There is a small amount of stuffing in the head and shoulders but the rest is left unstuffed so that the penguin can be used as a finger puppet.

 

It's really hard to get good photos of this: the perspective is all wrong if I take the photo from the front but the wings don't show in photos from the side. Annoying.

Phew! All up to date now. Bring on day 7!

Check out everyone else's efforts here.

30 Days of Creativity - Day 5

I couldn't get this on the computer yesterday, so will do two quick posts today to catch up!

Yesterday, as I was travelling and visiting, I didn't get a huge amount of time. I did manage some drawings though...

...some very simple drawings, playing with a new pack of sketching pencils.

See what everyone else has been up to here.

30 Days of Creativity - Day 4

Day 4 is here and almost gone. I have been out and about this lovely bank holiday Monday. 

The weather has been much better than  it was yesterday - but that wouldn't be hard! Everything looks green and fresh in the sunshine after the rain.

Today, I have been visiting my OH's family and wandering in their ever changing garden with camera in hand. 

There are some lovely flowers in bloom...

For my creativity challenge, I decided it was time for some experimentation with a photo editor. I have been using Paint.NET for a while (mainly to add watermarks to photos) but knew I had not even touched the surface of its capabilities. I have been promising to spend some time on this for ages but there have always been more pressing things to do!

Rose - radial blur

Periwinkle - Brightness/Contrast

Lupin - Hue/Saturation

Saxifrage - Emboss

Pink - Polar Inversion

Chive - Pencil Sketch

I'm not sure how I will make use of these techniques in the future but I have had fun and that's what 30DoC is all about, after all.

30 Days of Creativity - Day 3

A very quick post today as I'm going out later. I needed something quick to make so I'd be ready to post it this morning, so I decided to teach myself something new.

That seems like an odd choice, I hear you say!

Normally, I would have to agree with you. On this occasion, however, I had already done the research, bought the materials and chosen my favourite tutorial. 

And what was my craft of choice? I wanted to make a hemp bracelet (having recently bought some hemp cord). 

Apparently this tutorial uses a macrame stitch. I wouldn't know about that - I just like the pattern (more research needed... maybe there are dozens of stitches I can learn....on reflection, I need another hobby like I need a hole in the head...).

It was very easy. I like easy. It makes a change from super, crazily, ludicrously, excessively fiddly (which seems to be my default setting when choosing projects)!

Here are the photos:

Red, white and blue. The colours of the weekend. I hope all my UK readers have a lovely time: enjoying their extra days off whatever the fickle British weather throws at us.

Happy Jubilee weekend everyone!

30 Days of Creativity - Day 2

Day 2. Plenty of time today so high hopes for a slightly more adventurous creation!

Today's creation started with a drawing...

...which I coloured in.

I then traced the individual pieces and cut them out of felt. With a combination of sewing and gluing, the final product is ready...

I wanted to make a pendant so this little owl has an eye pin attached to his head. 

He's not perfect, but not bad for a first attempt! Onwards to Day 3.

I've also made an inverse version...

...I can't decide which I like better, what do you think?

Pinterest board of today's creations - click on the badge below.

30 Days of Creativity - Day 1

June is here! How did that happen? I wasn't ready!

I thought I was ready but, now it's here, I find that I wasn't. I also wasn't prepared for how much else would try to get in the way today.

I am, therefore, easing myself gently into the challenge. Simple works today. Simple gives me the space to allow my jumbled brain some respite from to-do lists, "should-dos" and approaching deadlines. 

Inspiration came from a walk down the high street today. Our town, like the rest of the UK, is currently drowning in bunting (for the Queen's jubilee). It lines the streets and links the streetlights. It adorns railings and flutters from the guttering. It features in every shop window display. 

I thought our little house was missing out. So bunting became my first 30DoC project. But I have made miniature fabric bunting before and big bunting would require ladders (shudder!).

So I took a look at my stash and was drawn to paper. Some colourful patterned paper that came free in the latest copy of Craftseller magazine, to be precise.  I like freebies: useful freebies are by far the best kind. Team that with some crochet cotton (not free exactly but not a colour I'm likely to use) and I'm ready to go.

I cut the paper into strips and the strips into triangles

Then I glued the triangles along the strings. Easy peasy. 

 

Then it was all ready to hang up at the windows...

...(you can just see the bunting on the house opposite)...

...I think it looks quite good! 

Sometimes simple is best. Sometimes simple is just the best that can be expected! Tomorrow, I would like to be a little more adventurous... fingers crossed that nothing else gets in the way. 

The bunting does, however, make an excellent frame for my CraftFest poster!

Click on the 30DoC badge to visit the Pinterest page for today.