30 Days of Creativity - Days 18 to 26!

Eek! Where has the last week gone!?!

This isn't going to sound like a very impressive list for the past 8 days. I have to admit to not being quite as creative as I would have liked this week. I've been a bit all over the place, to be honest, and am only just managing to get myself back on track. 

I've been pretty busy, don't get me wrong. Unfortunately, I don't think I can count the hours spent putting together an order from a craft wholesaler (catalogues are dangerous things...). Nor can I count the time spent on paperwork/budget reorganising/filing. 

I took a visit to Woodstock, on Thursday last week, with my sister. Woodstock is an historic town in Oxfordshire, probably most famous for Blenheim Palace. We didn't go into the palace itself, just had lunch and a wander around the town (between showers). There was a huge amount of very attractive iron-work on display on houses and other buildings.

 

 

I love the symmetry and grace that has been given to this robust material. On Friday, I had a go at drawing some of these swirling patterns. I am trying to draw with confidence: drawing the lines in one movement rather than in sketchy, short lines. I don't find this easy. Although it is much easier when drawing geometric patterns. 

I'd like to have a go at stitching some of these patterns soon.

Later on Friday, an order came in for 2 personalised elephants so that dictated the direction of my creativity for the weekend! I finished them on Sunday night, ready to photographed and shipped on Monday morning. They are to be well done gifts for finishing exams. 

There is one more photo, which shows the embroidered names, but I'll leave that one off until I know they have been received - just in case it spoils the surprise!

I think that's about it for this week - unless I suddenly remember something I have forgotten to show you. Only another four days to go so I think it's time for a final push towards the finish line!

30 Days of Creativity - days 9 & 10

A combined post today for the weekend's creativity. I've spent so long on the computer over the past week (writing blogposts and promoting CraftFest) that it seemed only fair to let my other half have a turn! So I had a good day crafting while watching the tennis from the French Open.

I have been making things ready to sell this weekend - a teddy bear for Tasmia Trinkets and Charms (but more on that when it's finished!), elephants and bracelets.

Saturday was bracelets day. Working with gorgeous Liberty bias tape; adding chains and charms. Part of the challenge is selecting the fabric to work with - they are all so pretty!

Here are the bracelets that I made...

... all of these will be available for sale, somewhere, at some point soon. Eeek! That was a bit vague wasn't it! :o)

On Sunday, I made some elephants...

... ready to become sets of three when I've made the other sizes.

I've also been finding "creative" promotion opportunities for my business. I have broken my target of 100 Facebook 'likes' and think I may finally be getting to grips with Twitter (up to 63 followers this morning).

So I think that may mean it's time for a giveaway - I'll have to see what I can find for an appropriate thank you!

Craft fair preparation

As was perhaps to be expected, I have spent most of this week avoiding craft fair preparation. While I should have been making labels, price tags and checking that I have everything I need for Saturday, I have been largely preoccupied with another elephant. I was meant to be making the prototype of an elephant kit for sale - well I did make one and it turned out well (I think anyway).

Every stage of his construction was photographed carefully and the instructions were written. All would have been well if it hadn't been for the blanket.

 

And it wasn't really the blanket's fault. The problem was that I had to look up stitch ideas. This led me to Sharon B's Pintangle - a very dangerous blog to find at such a time. Suffice it to say that I would like to participate in TAST to expand my stitching skills and this site should bear some responsibility for the elephant that has been engaging my attention this week.

 

Inspired by the fabulously decorated elephants at the elephant festivals in India, this white felt creature is now quite heavily embroidered with flowers. 

 

I have got characteristically caught up in the detail and have, almost completely, failed to get anything useful done. 

Oh well, it is finished now and I have blogged about it. Hopefully it is now out of my system, so I may be able to get back to more pressing tasks. And maybe I'll get the kits ready for sale. We'll see...

Craft fair dates for your diary

I have finally chosen the craft fairs that I will be attending before Christmas. 

Craft Fayre

Saturday 26th November, 10am to 4pm

Chipping Sodbury Town Hall

Victorian Evening Craft and Gift Fayre 

Friday 2nd December, 5pm to 9.30pm

Chipping Sodbury Town Hall

I will be taking a selection of my creations to each fair:

teddy bears,

notebooks,

elephants,

Liberty hairclips,

 

and probably a few other random goodies!

It would be lovely to see you there!

A week of ups and downs

It's been a funny old week really...

It's been a week of car-related stress: getting rescued by the RAC from a chilly M4 (2nd call-out in 2 weeks), 8 hours and 20 miles after getting the car back from the garage; anxiously waiting to hear from the mechanic to find out if I would have to cancel all my appointments AGAIN; and driving nervously through the countryside hoping that it won't conk out on me in the middle of nowhere.

It's been a week of family events: packing the OH off to London for a month; a visit from my parents; and a lovely meal with Mum, Dad, sister, brother and sister-in-law.

It's been a week of elephants: 

one whose progress is interminably slow (body complete on 3rd attempt, legs... don't ask!) 

and one who was just a delightful surprise!

I think the spice boat tips the balance though...

...it's been a good week!

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...