Thrifty shopping lists

Old envelopes, scissors, hole punch and string. Couldn't be simpler.

Barcelona beach bags

Well, we couldn't have a hen do without a memento. Using some calico, cotton tape and image transfer paper, I made beach bags for us to use in Barcelona. Whilst we didn't have time to lounge on the beach, they became our shopping bags for all things divine from Mercat St Josep.

I wanted to turn this into a tutorial, but ran out of time to photograph all the stages. I'll make sure I do when I next make one. They are essentially book bags with a wide bottom. So easy to make and I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

For now, here are some photos of the initial stages and the image transfer paper being used. I did a printing course about 3 years ago and bought it hoping to use it, but like so many of my craft bits it was tucked away for a rainy day and forgotten about. The instructions are really straightforward - simply treat it like printer paper and just remember to reverse the text or image before you press print! I had a small IT issue with my laptop and printer (they are apparently 'on a break') but this was easily resolved using a rather convoluted method of two laptops, pdf, gmail, printer and floor cushions. The latter due to the location of said printer!

Patience is the key - when you have printed the image, it needs to be bone dry before you iron it onto the fabric. When you iron it onto the fabric it needs to have cooled completely before peeling off the transfer backing. On the first bag I made, I tried to overlap the names on the main image - big mistake. Obviously the heat of the iron heats up the main image and everything becomes a hot, sticky, transfer mess. Stick to the recommended ironing times - I got distracted by Miss P a couple of times and had to cobble together a method of getting the smaller name transfers to attach fully to the fabric after I'd peeled off the backing paper.* The cherries were a standard iron-on patch - something I'd not used before, but fell in love with and thought they'd go well with the Spanish themed handles.

The bag itself is double stitched and unlined. I trimmed the seams with my pinking shears to keep everything neat. Next time I'll make them a touch wider and double stitch around the top of the bag - I gave them two rows of stitching (top and bottom) but that wasn't strong enough.

*I used the large backing paper that had been peeled from the main image and simply placed it over the smaller transfers that were being difficult. I then ironed on top as per the instructions, left it to cool and then peeled the backing paper off again. Seemed to do the trick!

Rock Star part 2

Even if you have only just turned one, all good Rock Stars know that image is of paramount importance.*

With left over paint from Miss P and the overwhelming urge to make my own stencils (I blame Lena Corwin), I embarked on a mission to find the mysterious 'freezer paper' that our friends across the Atlantic use when making beautiful, one off images on bags, t-shirts and tee-towels. Having tried 3 supermarkets it finally dawned on me that we just don't have it.

As I pottered about in one of those 'has everything but not that' shops, I stumbled across self-laminating business card holders - aka sticky backed plastic. 'That'll do' I trilled out loud.

The useful part of the self-laminating kit is that the sticky plastic has a paper backing, which meant that I could hand draw my design directly onto the paper and then cut it out with the scalpel knife. It also has a non-sticky plastic back which is great for preserving the 'stick' after the stencils have been used.
A cheap car sponge was chopped up, and the stencil stuck in place. A paper plate was found for paint dabbing and a couple of layers of paper put inside the t-shirt to stop over-eager stenciling seeping through.
In a matter of moments the job was done - which was a little sad because I could have quite happily stenciled all afternoon. Note to oneself for next time - conveyor belt stenciling!

Once the images were dry, the stencils were removed and the fabric paint set with a hot iron and a handy tea towel. To soften the set fabric paint, I popped it in the washing machine on a normal cycle.
Voila. Ready for the battle of the bands! Coming to a nursery near you...

*So maybe the literal route isn't that rock star, but it made me giggle. One of the first guesses was 'cloud star', swiftly followed by 'storm star'. Sigh. Never mind...

Rock Star part 1

Another of our friends little ones turned one at the weekend. To avoid gift duplication and disappointment, I thought I'd make him something special. Admittedly the xylophone and wooden drum were screaming 'buy me, buy me', but we managed to walk on by - I like to think of it as avoiding the potential for future retaliation buying!

I still wanted something music themed though. And what better than a soft toy career nudge?
Ribbon tuning keys as I've heard on the grapevine that little ones are rather smitten with such things.
It's perhaps more ukulele than acoustic guitar in size to the average adult bear, but then he is only 12 months old so it will hopefully be just right.
Rock Star part 2 to be revealed. I may have got a little carried away with the theme...ahem.

I'd like you to meet someone

Thank you for your lovely messages. I'm trying to get a second opinion to make sure it's not something nastier. Ah well...onto nicer things...

I was a busy little bee last week making a birthday present for our little niece who turns 1 this week. Do you want a peek?

Any ideas?

Well, what else would a self-confessed cat obsessive Auntie make? Why, a soft Miss P for little Miss M.

The real Miss P isn't wildly impressed about sharing her inside space with another cat as there are more than enough in her garden thank-you-very-much, but it won't be for long.

Made from tough cotton, painted with fabric paint and with the odd bit of embroidery here and there, the non-spiky Miss P2 has been washed and is ready to be wrapped.

I hope little Miss M likes her. Obviously, it being a present for a 1 year old, it's highly likely that Miss P2 will be discarded in favour of the wrapping paper and toys that shriek noise and have a high shine appeal. I'm sure she'll be discovered sooner or later...she'll certainly have some stories to tell.

60 minutes of craft time

One strip of soft fabric that wraps around the neck twice + sharp Sheffield scissors + red thread and needle + one cup of coffee + an hour spare = something warm and snug in keeping with the month of February.

A tip top Thursday

Gosh, what a productive day I've had and it's only just gone 3. That might sound like a rather silly thing to say but since becoming an unemployed statistic, trying to maintain a routine has been quite a challenge at times. I had a long ol' list this morning and, by George, everything got ticked off.

First stop was a local college where I signed up for a week long course on Project Management which I start on Monday. It's a fascinating place, established in the 1920s for working women and based in a listed building which is just stunning. Next was a quick browse along the shelves of the local library - where to my amazement I was able to pick up some fab craft books (here and here on Amazon if interested). More on these beauties once I've picked out what I want to make!
Chuffed with my finds, I popped to Waitrose to pick up some essentials, including the latest Country Living magazine as my subscription hasn't yet kicked in. I'm looking forward to following their 'Earn a country living' series - I'm in desperate need of inspiration together with a large glass of escapism!! A petite bonjour at Chez Julienne for another cafe au lait (addicted...) and then home via a gem of a charity shop. And look what I found hidden behind some particularly ugly wine racks!!
I have wanted to have a go at embroidery for simply ages and what better excuse than this. It's small - which is just perfect for a beginner - and it was only when I got home and took it out of its bag that I realised that the original instructions were attached and it was as good as new. I just love the typography. Now, all I need is a trolley...and some thread...

A list-full Thursday

Isn't this a beautiful sight. I felt I had to share as it rather lifts the grey weather that has settled around us in London over the past week or two. I can't take the credit for this posy, for we do not have clear surfaces nor that much light in our flat, it was popped together by my talented mum, and they are all from the garden.

Now, I have to confess to having had a rather doodley-list making kind of day at the office today. Work is ominously quiet - the calm before the campaign storm and our days are taken up with list making. As I struggled to get my head around another huge excel timing plan, I thought I'd quickly make a list of the creative projects I've been toying with for the Autumn. Thought I'd share it because it amused me (having also discovered a photocopier at work that scans and emails the image - brilliant!).

Goodness - if I want to get any of these done I'm going to have to diarise them, give up work and hire staff!!!! ; )

Gosh - where did that week go?!?

I can't believe it's Monday again. Time is flying by far too quickly and today it feels as though it's been magnified as I've been up since 5:15 this morning for work. I am absolutely exhausted although I did get to see the sun rise over South London whilst on the train.

Had another lovely weekend. The sun was out, the daffodils were out and so was I. Saturday was spent in London at City Lit with Mum, doing a one day felt jewellery course which was her Christmas present from moi. I was so chuffed to come away with a pair of earrings and some felt balls to string together to make a quirky bracelet.
We even managed to squeeze in our favourite meal - moules mariniere for lunch. Having hopped on the Central Line with Mum and then pointed her in the right direction for the Bakerloo Line, I meandered to Liberty to peruse a couple of hours away before meeting N for dinner.

And what did I find? Oh, just a little bit of a fabric sale. I couldn't quite believe the price - £4.99 per metre instead of £24.99. OMG. I even had to ask to double check. The most wonderful assistant helped me out and I ended up coming away with two pile of fabric. They are lush - photos will be lovingly taken and posted. I need to get my grubby mitts on the Amy Butler tunic dress pattern so that I can turn the fabric into my summer wardrobe.

I left Liberty feeling slightly guilty and pottered over to the Royal Festival Hall (great view at night of the Oxo Tower and the building next to it bathed in red light) where I met N and we had a mediocre Italian (near Ping Pong, not really worth it) before going on to a bar behind Selfridges. Needless to say we ended up leaving early as we were both worn out (N had been overdoing it in the garden again!).

We spent most of Sunday outside as it was a truly glorious day. Having made a mid-morning dash to Squires Garden Centre to use up our garden vouchers from the wedding, we had a lush stash of plants to pop into the rather sad winter borders. We've got lots more plants arriving on Mothers Day - one of the many benefits of having parents who are gardeners by trade. Hoorah!
The wellies have been reluctantly popped away for another week - or rather discarded at the back door for N to pop in the shed...
Right. I'm going to drag myself to bed to devour some more of 'The Interpretation of Murder' by Jed Rubenfield, which I'm really enjoying, before getting some shut-eye.