Robots in the craft room :)

Matt bought me a Spidercamp Bunny of Purity for Christmas and when he bought that he also bought some robots :)

They are sold with the proviso that you guess how many robots you will get for $1.39. Spidercamp thinks about 19 but we actually got 22 :) As soon as I saw them I knew what I was going to do with them - a robot garland (well two actually)

I asked the girls to colour some of them in but after a while they got bored so I continued where they left off.

I hung one up in the craft room to take these photographs but I think I may have to give one to each girl instead of keeping one myself!

Sunday Snippets

Sledging fun on a Monday off from school

Snow bunny - we cheated and used a jelly mould!

I decided I needed to tidy my craft room!

A custom button heart for a lovely customer :)

I came to the conclusion that I have too many notebooks - all but 4 are blank!

If you tilt your head you can see the heart shaped holes in Anya's bagel.

Keeping busy at ballet

Multitasking while watching Nanny McPhee

My first piece of craftivism

I wrote about #imapiece the other day and here is my finished piece. It's not perfect as this is the first embroidered piece I have done with words (I'm normally a straight stitch kind of girl!) but I think it works.

It reads 'Live simply so that others can simply live' The quote really appealed to me and I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be the one that went on my piece. It needed something to make the words jump out and as I was out and about with my sewing box, the only thing I had was sequins. Not sure they work with the simple quote or not - maybe buttons or ribbon would be better?

I may keep this one for myself and make another to send off for the installation. If I do I will embroider the words onto a piece of white fabric and then attach it to the patterned fabric as the wording kind of gets lost! Also if I get chance then I will send one to my MP - if not then he will get a photograph of the work with an explanation of why it is important to me.

Have you made one of these? Ever used crafting for good? I have a few ideas of things I can do in my neighbourhood using craft and it's quite exciting - maybe only to me though!

Wordless Wednesday

Whoot - snow day :)

I'm not a huge fan of the snow but school is cancelled today so the girls and I are off out in it to play! Well, I will be assisting them by helping with the sledges but won't be partaking* myself :)

This is the view from our front window. Behind the big bush in the middle is our regular sledging spot in the park - not too far to come home for hot chocolate when we are tired and cold!

I do have work to do later and a trip to the post office is needed but this is why I love where I live as everything is within walking distance :) I will be calling into the bakery to get some bread and if needed then Spar is also up there. I can walk for 10 minutes in the other direction and be at another Post Office, a butcher, another bakery (not as good as the one nearer!) and a greengrocers.

If you have a snow day then enjoy!

*Not 'cos I'm a wuss (I love sledging!) but because I'm still in pain from the pleurisy :( Seems to be easing a bit now which is good so I might be able to avoid another trip to the doctors!

#imapiece

I found out about Craftivism a good few months ago by watching a video called Stitched Stories (really worth a look - you won't regret watching) and by subscribing to the blog I found out about #imapiece

So what is #imapiece? It's basically a campaign by a group of well known crafters (you included!) along with Save the Children to help raise awareness of world hunger and injustice.

Picture from @craftteaviv

Basically, you create a jigsaw piece (to be included in a large collective piece of work) with a slogan on. Dead easy! All the information you need (plus helpful slogans) is HERE and I think it is a very worthwhile project to be involved in.

You can even shop on Folksy and get a jigsaw kit sent to you :) I have only just cut out the fabric for my piece today but I know what slogan I am going to use and once I have found my special embroidery pen I will be off (despite my embroidery skills being a bit rubbish!)

If you don't have any spare time or inclination to join in with this project then can I ask you to spare one minute to sign the petition. Thanks!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday - spot the ice man :)

Can you see his eyes, mouth and hair? You may have to look at the original photo to see the detail.

Tie chickens, not Thai chicken!

Yeah, good one Lynsey :)

As you may have guessed from the title, my long made (August 2011!) tie chickens have finally made it into my shops! They have been to fairs with me, and several have sold so you are seeing the last few available. They all have appropriate 1970's style names as they are indeed made from 1970's ties :)

Randy

Kenneth

Here is Clive

Duncan

Rodney

Simon

Trevor

Trevor and Simon have twins as the ties they were made from were huge - I believe the term is kipper ties :)

I'm on the look out for some gaudy ties so I can add to the tie chicken collection :)

A trip out in the snow

So I got it into my head that today would be the day I visited the clog makers near Hebden Bridge to buy some yummy orange clogs I have been coveting for a while. However, someone was in such a rush to get out on the school run and then onto Hebden that I forgot to check when said clog makers was open...... Yep, you guessed it, it closes on a Monday! Ah well, at least I know where it is for next time!

I did have to drive through this though to get there - lots of snow and it was laying quite heavily on the roads. For that reason I didn't stop at the charity shops of Hebden but did at the ones in Todmorden.

This was all I managed to find in Tod - 4 home magazines at 30p each for me to chop up and put in my inspiration book. If indeed there are any inspiring pictures in there that is! Luckily I had to run some errands back in Burnley so I got to go to two charity shops en route!

These bowls were 50p (for the pair) from my favourite shop Emmaus. Emmaus has had a change round and now has an extra room :)

I also grabbed this skirt that I had seen before Christmas. I liked it then but when I went back it had gone. Imagine my delight when I spotted it on the sale rail this morning! It needs taking up but I can do that :)

So all in all a good day out!

Random bits and bobs

1. I'm still unwell but now I know what it is - pleurisy :) Lovely! Antibiotics should shift it although the pain might still be there for a good few weeks yet (ouch!)

2. It's my 6th year anniversary of being on Etsy! Whoot!

3. Despite being ill I managed to do some work yesterday - sorting through my stock boxes and Flickr photographs to check if things were still available for sale. I have things on 23 pages and there are more than one thing to list per page so expect some shop updates soon! One thing dated back until 2010 - ahem. Who says I make things and photograph them and then forget to list them.....

4. I'm getting well under way reading the books I wasn't allowed to read last year. Basically we have so many books, that in 2012 I was only allowed to read books I hadn't read before. That meant I couldn't have my annual read of the Harry Potter books or His Dark Materials. Since the start of the year though I have re-read His Dark Materials and I am 30 pages into another firm favourite, Nineteen Eighty-Four (read whilst waiting at the doctors this morning!)

5. I did have another thing to add to the bottom of this post but I stopped writing this post halfway through when I realised it was time to go and cook frittata for tea and I've completely forgotten what it was. Imagine it was good though eh?

Nearly Wordless Wednesday - reading

We like books in this house :)

Blanket storage

A good few weeks ago I started researching blanket storage on Pinterest. We have a multitude in this house as they keep jumping into my arms in charity shops! Luckily my mother in law came to the rescue with this fabulous suitcase that belonged to her mother in law.

E.D.H. are the initials of her maiden name and we think it was used on a trip to Spain in the late 1920's/early 30's. My mother in law used it for Christmas decorations but it is starting to fall apart so it was destined to go to the local amateur until I stepped in and rescued it!

If the blanket collection grows then I do have more suitcases but none with such a good story behind them :)

Craft round up from 2012

And here's to another crafty year in 2013 :)

1. Upcycled badges on new packaging, 2. Inside one of the upcycled, refillable journal/notebook, 3. Limited Edition Liberty fabric chicken paperweight, 4.Upcycled stickers - 1970's illustrations, 5. Limited Edition Liberty fabric chicken paperweight, 6. British Wildlife upcycled bunting - heart shaped, 7. Heart bunting packaging, 8. Peter and Jane stickers, 9. Gardenia the chicken pincushion/paperweight, 10. Custom stickers, 11. Sweetie Mum and Baby, 12.Limited Edition Liberty fabric chicken paperweight, 13. Mini upcycled bunting - plants and flowers, 14. Decka the pincushion/paperweight chicken, 15.Richard Scarry card, 16. Pink chicken pincushion/paperweight, 17. Sammy the Shunter gift tags, 18. Mother and Baby chicken, 19. Threads notecards - set 3, 20. Heart gift tags

You can see a larger version of the mosaic here.

Happy New Year

Image taken from here

In reality our house is piled full of poorly people and tissues but I didn't think you needed to see that so a Happy New Year picture was a must! We have been ill since the week before Christmas and it is still continuing now! I'm hoping we are on the home straight and will be well next week - positive thinking helps sometimes!

Hopefully I will be back soon when I'm feeling better and with more motivation to blog. At least 2013 can only get better from here right?