Post by Girls and Boys.

Title 1

 New image I purchased at the Royal Academt Summer Exhibition. I do love the Pringles!

Happy Christmas Everyone

Thank you for following me and supporting my making.

How easily I seem to forget

Tonight I decided to get out some of my old copies of Cloth, paper, scissors which I something I have a habit of doing a couple of times each year. I also like to do this with my art and textile books aswell. It feels very reassuring as I turn the pages and suddenly the memories of what is on the pages flood back and so do the ideas that I often had at the time, plus many new ones. However tonight something new struck me aswell. As I flipped over one of the pages there was an advert for a soldering iron being used to cut felt. As I saw it I suddenly had a memory that in fact I have one fo those and I could have used it really successfully in projects I have been doing lately. How was it I forget I could use it. I am beginning to wonder if I have taught myself too many things to hold in my head at once and maybe I need to think of a way to remind myself of all the techniques I know. Perhaps a sequingirlie version of a sampler or a special book that I could flip through. I am sure I will return to this topic but one thing is for sure, it doesn't make me feel bad when I remember these things, it feels new all over again and in addition it stops me needing to persue a new hobby that requires more equipment and money. I have enough trouble resisting this as it is, how long have I lusted after an embellisher, a screen printing set, to learn how to do fancy icing properly blah blah.
I must mention a book that I really love right now:
Illustration Play
I love the unusual ideas and different takes on working with fabrics.

Getting there

I have been making way on my unfinished projects that I wrote about at the beginning of the year. I thought it was time to share how I am doing. I do wish I was a bit further along however I have been plagued with a series of winter related illnesses for a while.

I just have the buttons to do on the baby girls party dress - I am scared to do these on my sewing machine after the previous stress I had with this.

I have finished the bunting - whooh and it is hanging in her bedroom now

I have finished the commissioned inchies but annoyingly forgot to take a photograph

Almost there with the commissioned landscape - this photograph was near the begin of starting.

The christmas garland is almost there aswell even though I keep getting strange looks when I am stitching christmas trees made of felt in April.

I am pleased to say I have finished the named picture -

I must go now so that I can finish the landscape piece. Happy making.

Things I am loving right now.

Wall paper tree design

This fantastic canvas collage using an old book

This beautiful tree picture

Snow and snow and snow

For over 3 weeks now we have had snow on and off. It all began when I had to have the last day of term off before Christmas, as all the main routes were closed. That was the 18th of December. Now we are at the 8th January and this time it wasn't just me who couldn't get to work. The whole school was closed because of snow. The weather forecast seems to show no end to it at the moment. Rather than get frustrated which I can feel very below the surface I remind myself how beautiful it is. I have posted a few of my pictures I look at to remind myself. I must also keep reminding my self about the amazing eerie quiet sound that surrounds us when it snows. I am enjoying the extra days at home, but today is the first day when I have felt guilt free, because the whole school it shut. I have decided, like many of people in the blogs I read, that I must clear some of my outstanding projects. Today I began to lay them out on the table. I vow to complete at least 2 this weekend. They so far consist of:

Finish party dress for baby girl

Finish (shall stop using this word now) bunting for baby girl

Fin.... Commissioned inchies piece

F... Commissioned landscape piece

List all outstanding bags on etsy shop

Put items in sale on etsy
Complete (ah found new word) Christmas garland ready for next year

Make 2 commissioned handbags

Once I have these things clear I really want to begin coming up with ideas for new designs.

Hope your New Year is going well and that the snow is not getting you down, if you have it.

And again time has whizzed by..

How long to go???

Where have the last few weeks gone??

Glad I did some shopping ready in November!!

But I have been upto things: Time to share some photographs.

Christmas Cards made with my Gocco printer.

Bunting made for a friend who has had a new baby. My first attempt and I am very pleased with it.

Stockings for the family. Again a first attempt and very pleased with myself. The furtherest left is for me, my partner asked me to make it and he decorated it.
And the picture at the beginning are some custom pouches for holding lavender.

Happy holidays and Christmas to you all. I will be back in the New Year or before if I can manage it with new and exciting things. Happy making.