Picken's going to live with?

Name from the Cauldron is



Jo in Tas.

Jo, Picken will be Flying your way by Bat Air a.s.a.p.

Resin Jewelry

I went to a Resin Jewelry class a few weeks ago and we had fun pouring our own molds.

We used bottle tops to set clear resin in to make fridge magnets and also mixed powdered paint in to make resin shapes of our choice. Pink of course for me. I thought the colour was a little pale so when I got home I distressed the rose with some acrylic paint and then coated in nail varnish to give a nice sheen.

I also had time to make a fossil charm which I gave the same treatment to.

I am entering this into the following

Make it Monday Party.

Whats in the Cauldron..

The bewitching hour is nearly upon us. Names are aready in the pot but if you would still like to be with a chance to adopt "Picken Punkin" then just either leave a comment on this post or on the original one below and be a follower of my blog.



A name will be picked out at the witching hr on Sunday 31st.

Beach Babe has been Featured!

I'm really pleased that Beach Babe has been featured on Me Makin Do. I get to have a new button on my side bar too.

Thankyou so much Heather. I have been following Heathers blog for sometime now and she comes up with the most amazing ideas for making things from scraps or next to nothing.

Just heard that I have been accepted onto the next Scrappy Mug Rug Swap and will get to hear on Sunday who my secret partner will be. Can't wait to get started on this swap.



Iv'e got this tune on my brain ever since last night. "Grocer Jack". Can't think why! Seems a bit fishy to me.

Hope you all have a great Weekend. Off to Fluff's for mine. Wants to discuss a project with me apparently. Bet it involves a needle, material and thread somewhere in the converation!lol.

Picken Punkins

I bought the material back in August being very pleased with my self that I was early and organised. Suddenly realised Halloween is here and about to be gone so I have literally made this
Raggedy in one day flat. Her name is "Picken Punkins" and is a Prim Raggs pattern. ( I purchased the pattern back in March too!)


So here she is all dressed up (even had time to make her a broomstick and pumpkin) but no place to go. Has she bewitched you?
I don't normally make a dolly unless she has a home to go to so would one of my lovely followers like to adopt her? If you do just be a follower(genuinely because you like my blog) and leave a comment on this post . The Doc will pick a name out of the Cauldron on 31st Oct at the witching hour.



I am entering Picken into the following Halloween challenges.

Creative Inspirations: Halloween /Fall

By the Cute and Girly: Spooky

The Cuttlebug Spot: Fall

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge: Spooky

One Stitch At a Time: Anything Goes. any Celebration

Crazy 4 Challenges: Crazy for Halloween.

Crafty Creations: Halloween or Autumn

Beach Babe.

Another reveal as this doll is now with her new owner.
She is from a pattern called Beach Babe and is a Cathron Country Design. As soon as I saw the pattern I had to buy it as I knew just who to make her for.
Here she is under construction. I didn't read the pattern before starting so it came as bit of a shock that she needed plastic rods inserted into her feet and then fed up through her body and into her neck which is then pushed through a small slit into the head at the back! A really weird construction but I'm always up for a challenge. She also has a little pull along toy duck and a bear swim ring, plus of course a cozie to wear.

The little girl that I have made this for when asked by her Gran if she had a new doll what it would be called said "Rosie "of course.

So without further ado here she is. Rosie for Rosie.

Rosie just loves pink so no problem with choosing the colour!!

This is the first time that I have painted a face on.( All of Cath's patterns have painted faces but I usually chicken out and embroider them on as with the Gracie, Evie and Esme dolls but I thought I would have a try. Rather pleased with the result.)

The rods inserted in her legs and body enable her to be free standing.
Painted toenails too.


On the pattern she was only meant to have six strands of very thick wool in bunches for her hair but I decided to go all over and give her a curly mop instead. (Took me 2 days to hook in each individual strand and knot. Will I never learn!)

I had great fun making her and Rosie loves her too.

I am entering her into the following:

Alphabet Challenge. Z for zig zags. Rosie has ric rac braid on her cozie.

Make it Monday linky Party.

Can Can

Look what my sister made for me! Isn't it gorgeous?

It's made from this new wool that is just out called Can Can by Rico. You can purchase the wool from WWW.Readicut .co.uk The yarn comes in a 200g ball and costs about £9.99. For that you can either make two short ones (like here) or one really long one . My sister said it is very easy to do and showed me how simple it was. Literally 8 stitches on size 8mm(No.0) needles.

I am trying to convince her to start her own blog as she is a very prolific knitter and also sews lovely clothes for her grandchildren.

Before you ask Faye, no you can't have it. It's mine!

Thanks Sis. I love it.

Victorian Cuff Reveal.

My partner was Caleen in the Victorian Cuff Swap and as she has now received her package it is safe to show and tell. Caleen was my third picked partner as the first two dropped out so what should have been a long lead time ended up with us both only having 10days to make and send out. Fortunately we both have the same style and preferences (Marie Antionette)so the cuff came together really easily.


I used a strip of heavy pink velevet (purchased for 50p in the local charity shop) and then covered it with some really old lace (has been in my stash box a good 30yrs +). The cream satin is from a friends wedding dress (17yrs ago). I didn't make the wedding dress for Sarah but she asked me to make one of my Victorian Rag dolls for her little bridesmaid to hold instead of a flower basket on the big day so I asked for a piece of the material and made a minature version of her dress for the doll to wear.
The two pearl buttons are from a vintage car boot sale but the rest of the beads are modern but have an old look about them so blended in very well. Here is the cuff ready to wear.

And a picture showing the back. I added in a small placket just in case to allow for size discrepancies but Caleen said it fitted her fine. I backed the cuff with the plain satin and hand stiched the whole thing.

I didn't want to just send the cuff on its own so I added in a couple of suprises too.
I made this little flower brooch from some turquoise satin (A colour Caleen had said she liked)

again from material in my stash .

Then I used the rest of the pink velvet to make this bag. The inside is pink Japanese silk material that matched the velevet perfectly.

All finished just in time to send off by the deadline.

I am entering the cuff into the following challenges.

ABC Challenge: F is for Flowers. Not very clear but the beadwork is also done in a flower pattern.

One Stitch at a Time : They are asking for Embellish with your favoiurite things. I have used beads and buttons.

Dragonfly Cache

Sandra has now received her Japanese bag in the post so I can now reveal the 2nd one made for the August giveaway that she won. This is called Dragonfly Cache and is an evening bag to hold your tissues and small make up items or just to use to hold a scent bottle or hide away keepsakes.

Sandra didn't mind what colours so I chose these two lovely Japanese prints of Autumn flowers that just seemed to compliment each other. The inside fabric is a striking green with a small white pattern which again matches in perfectly with the green leaves.

Each section has been sewn together individually by folding the front material round quilt batting and then backed with felt for a soft finish. Lastly the front wings and tail are attached and then the front and back pieces are sewn together with herringbone stitch with embriodery thread. A pearl and glass bead handle just finishes it off as do the red bug eyes. I really have had fun making all these little bags up.

Here it is hanging from the bedroom door knob but would look equally as nice on a dresser

doorknob.

I am entering this into the following challenges.

Crazy 4 Challenges. They are asking for Fall/Autumn colours on your project.

Flutterby Wednesday. They are asking for Fairy, Angel or Butterfly (I reckon a dragonfly counts) using a Fall theme.

Secret Crafter. They are asking for an Oriental theme.

Craftalicious. They are saying Anything Goes.

Charisma Cardz. They are asking for More than 1 Fold. The wing material has been folded and the tail piece has been folded and then rolled so I guess that counts!!!!

I have just had a red hot tip to enter into the following challenge as well. Thanks Leanne.

Top Tip Tuesday. Anything Goes challenge.

And The Winner Is!

Thankyou to all those that played along with my Happy Families competition.
Two of you were so close but we do have an outright winner.
Sherry please step forward.
The answers I have are:

Hoglet
Joey
Spiderling
Kitten
Fry


Sherry I will email you detailed pics of the two sides of the materials for you to choose which one you would like to be made up.

Another Freebie! (NOW CLOSED)

Remember the 40yr old silks given to me by my mother in law?
Well I still have 4 of them unused so its time for another wee competition.
The brown, turquoise,blue/red and navy/yellow are left and are actually reversible so there will be a choice of negative/positive. If you want to be in with a chance to win the material of your choice made into an embriodered box just be a follower and answer the following little quiz.



Ok. So lets play Happy Families. We all know that baby cats are called kittens, baby dogs are puppies and baby pigs are piglets but do you know the name for the following babies?

1. Baby Hedgehog
2. Baby Kangaroo
3. Baby Spider
4. Baby Squirrel
5. Baby Fish

Please leave your answers in a comment on this post.You don't need to know the answers just be able to find them. They are all out there on the web somewhere. If there is more than one correct entry names will goes in a hat and The Doc will pull one out (of the bag so to speak) to be the winner. Game will run until 12pm GMT 18th Oct.
Good luck. I was suprised by some of the answers.!

Sequin Paradise!

I need sequins for a bag I want to make and managed to find some sold on a strip at 50p a metre. Not a bad price I thought until I spotted this short skirt on sale for £5.

The Doc nearly had a seizure when he realised I was buying it and said "your not going to wear that are you?"
No, but just look at all those lovely sequins just waiting to be re used.

Just one problem though, does anyone know a quick way of undoing them. There are thousands of em!!!

Sequins anyone?

Evening Elegance.

Denise now has her little Japanese bag so I can share with you.

The design is called Evening elegance and is a clutch bag.

Here is a close up of the front. The silks are all the way from Japan so I wait a nail biting fortnight for them to arrive and hope that the pictures are a true replication of the materials chosen. (So far they have been perfect matches. My Japanese contact comes up trumps every time.) Each piece of the bag is compiled seperately and consists of a front, quilt wadding sandwiched in the middle and a back which becomes the lining of the bag when assembled. Finally after all the beading has been sewn on, the front and back are attached via herringbone stitch around the edges to make the pouch. Everything is done by hand as I love to feel the silks as I sew.

Here is a picture of the back depicting a Japanese garden scene which I highlighted by stitching beads along the clouds and grass.
Denise told me her preferred colour was pink (thats my kind of girl) so I chose the scenic pink silk and highlighted it with the turquoise water lilies crepe silk which is also used for the inside lining.

Terry's the Best.

Aren't I the lucky one!

Looked what plopped through my letter box this morning. Not 1 but 5 fat qtrs from Terry.

I won them in a competition on her blog (and I didn't even win just took part.) I just love all the colours. Paws off Faye these are for mummy. I know just what I am going to do with 2 of the colours, something for "The Doc". Yes thats right my next project is to make an item which he is going to use in the kitchen. Intrigued? Well stay tuned to find out what it will be.






Thankyou so much Terry. Your the Best.

In the Pink.

I hand delivered this to Fluff at the weekend so it is safe to reveal. The cry went up from Devon recently "Please can I have a cover for my brand new netbook. Can it be in pink felt with felt yellow/pink die cut flowers o'h and I nearly forgot buttons for the centres please Mummy. "

So here it is tucked up nice and snug.! I looked on the web for a design with a zip closure but couldn't find one so devised my own . I have taken loads of pics whilst making and will try my hand at posting up a tutorial on how to make one for yourself. (will blog later on in the month) I used some woollen check material for the lining from my stash that Mum in Law gave me (40 yrs ago along with the silk samples).

There are lots of parcels out in the post at the moment so as soon as I know they have arrived I will have more items to share with you.

I am entering this into the following challenge

C.R.A.F.T challenge who are asking for fancy floral.