Take one a day

Day 31

Yes, I've made it!! Back at the beginning of last week I had wondered if I could keep listing, making, sharing, blogging every day but I've done it.

Quite a few people have asked if I'm going to carry on. Probably not at this frantic pace but I will keep blogging and sharing. I'll be making too but I have missed producing larger pieces. Crochet is so time consuming. It's also motivated me into having a set routine.

People have been so supportive. The daily comments have been great to read and I apologise for not replying. There have not been enough hours in the day.

My next project has got to be centred on my workspace. I've already chosen artwork so keep watching this space. But back to July.

Today's project is this,

It's on loan from my OH. I've got to be careful with it. Don't drop it. Make sure I put the lens cap back on properly. Switch it off when I've finished with it ..........

It's been a long time since I was eight!

By the time I'd recharged the batteries, found the right lead the best of the weather was starting to go. I thought I'd do an appraisal of my own, a round up of this month's work. I got everything out and started to take photos, some on my old camera and some on the new (to me) camera.

What do you think? New one first.

I think the new one is sharper. Neither of them have been adjusted so the light is better too. It's no contest with close work.

Again untouched. New first.

As soon as I'd taken everything outside it came to rain. The wind had picked up so the photos have been rushed because things kept flying off the table. They're almost action shots!

Remember these?

Just a few of the things I've finished this month. Phew!

I'll still need to play around with focus and stuff but it's a start and an improvement.

The listing today (taken with the old camera) is a lovely coral pink scarf made from an Amy Butler organic wool and cotton blend. It's a lovely yarn. I really like this scarf. I might keep it if it doesn't sell before relisting time. It's on Folksy and Etsy

It's been very quiet on Folksy but I've chosen two July Jewels. Their work hasn't been listed today but these are for all my followers.

The first is from Aunty Joan. Her cards are great. You should see her pirate cards! This one is for the party I feel like throwing.

The next one is from Ello Design. I think this pretty card speaks for itself!

As you can't have cards without flowers I'd just like to leave you with a little something.

Oops!! Wait while I just pick the camera off the floor. Is it meant to rattle like that? Where did I put that lens cap? Which is the off switch?

Oh dear!

Take one a day

Day 30

My mother used to say, among a lot of other nonsense - sorry Mum! (it's true),
"A bad workman always blames his tools."

I believed this until I read  here that 'some people will blame their failings wherever they can but anyone who does practical work will soon discover the importance of good, well maintained tools. So a saying such as "a good workman is highly critical of the state of his tools and makes sure he has the best" would be quite appropriate! A good workman with bad tools will struggle to do a good job; a bad workman will do a bad job. '

So I'm not blaming tools, materials or Elizabeth's tutorial. I had promised myself that I would go through this month without buying resources. A glue gun would have been handy today and so would access to Photoshop. I used the ever so useless double sticky backed plastic and Word.

Someone has the software for my banner. Well, the person who made it has the software. I've got a copy saved. I used the copy and cropped and copied and pasted to make this.

It's a very handy, padded envelope and you'll find the tutorial on the Etsian Artists blog. It a great idea for making your packages more interesting

Thank you, Elizabeth. It was easy to follow - if you have the right equipment and don't rely on Sellotape. Check out her shop Oddball Art Co on Etsy.

It doesn't seem like a big project and in fact once I had the paper printed I did it in no time. What held me up was changing the photo into something Word liked. Even though I did print preview it still came out with extra line of smaller houses.  I'm thinking of it as two projects!

My listing today is a pair of crochet bookmarks. They are on Folksy and Etsy. Again they are organic cotton and the Queen Anne's lace motif. I've tried to describe the natural dye colours as best I could. The manufacturer calls them rhubarb and oak bark. I'm calling them chartreuse and silver brown.

While I was doing a search for colours I found this great site called Perbang. It's fantastic for all sorts of things, Pantone shades, colour blends, colour charts. It's part of the reason I've achieved so little. I've been playing around with it.

We're on a bit of a repeating pattern theme and today's Folksy July Jewel is one that I could have chosen every day. Today's work fits nicely on the post. These delightful framed hearts are from Clarkie Designs.

Can't you just see this on a wall in a little girl's room? The perfect, little hearts are made from vintage paper and can be personalised. After my encounters with paper this week I'm really impressed by this.

Take one a day

Day 29

Today I've carried on messing with paper. I tried a tutorial for paper lanterns but have proved again that if you don't have the right equipment it can be difficult to get the desired effect. In fairness the instructions did say do not use tea lights with a naked flame. Use LED votives. It said to use bangles to hold it together. Mine kept springing out. I decided to use double backed sticky plastic. It stuck to everything but the seam.

I remember in the golden years of Blue Peter when they made a nuclear power station out of toilet rolls and double sticky backed plastic. I won't mention Tracy Island.

I didn't set the place alight but I didn't get any light through the holes. The morning was dull. I had a lunch date. It was put on hold.

This evening the sun came out. I found a cheats way of doing things and here we are ...

I used photocopy prints. I don't know who did the originals but I do know that the ones in the middle are from Olive Dear. I used a needle in a cork to do the pin pricks. I think they need to be bigger but the photos don't show the light at its best.

I love this time of year in the garden. I tried to take shots of the roses but my batteries went but look at the monbretia.

 
My listing today is one my favourite blankets. It was a huge task and I was really pleased with the results. It's been on Etsy and now I've listed it on Folksy. I love the colour mix and the organic cotton makes it so soft. It's hard to part with it.

Today's Folksy July Jewel in from Maxine Veronica Jewellery.  These gorgeous peach and champagne glass pearls are paired with copper chain and copper fittings

Have a great weekend. It's the last one for July!! Yippeeeee!!!!!

Take one a day

Day 28

It's a short one today. I've been on a fruitless task for most of  the day. The search for large sheets of tissue paper was just too much so I settled for smaller sheets from The Works. Why?

Last Christmas shopping with Rolla in London I was smitten with the huge, white paper decorations in some of the shops. I mean huge! Imagine how thrilled I was when I did a search for pompoms yesterday and these showed up.

These are from Martha Stewart.

Of course I didn't have any tissue paper, florist wire..... but now I have. Not the right size or colour but here they are. Very rough and ready but I gave it a go.

Whatch ya doin?

Not my garden. This is my garden. With another pompom completed with the right size but not enough sheets. It's much easier trying to separate larger sheets.



The moral is... always follow instructions. If anyone knows where I can find white tissue sheets 20"x30" please let me know.

My listing today is on Folksy and Etsy. It's a pair of Queen Anne's lace crochet bookmarks. They're made from organic cotton.

Two Folksy July Jewels today because I've got a soft spot for little houses.

First it's an ACEO by Cherry Tree Handmades. Chosen because it reminds me of all those little Welsh terraces clinging to valleys. This little row of cottages is only 2.5"x3.5". Incredible!

Here we have a pretty pincushion by Pants and Paper. It's made from a linen mix with a fabric collage.

Today's choices are for all of you with cottage industries!!

Take one a day

Day 27

I thought I'd have an easy day after the trials of yesterday. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

The top green pom pom was the first one I made. I was rather proud of it because they don't turn out well usually. As the sun was shining I took it outside to photograph later. I then made the tassel. I wrapped it around a paperback. It's the only use for some of them! I took that outside.

There was no sign of the green pom pom. Until I saw Posie running down the garden with it in her mouth! That's what it looks like after the cat's been at it.

I used card to make the green and blue pom poms. The little green one has been crocheted. The white ones have been made by wrapping the wool around my hand. That's a much easier way.

My favourite is the fluffy white one. It looks like a snowball. It's in the rowan because the light was better there. I think I might make some huge orange ones just to fool those blackbirds.

They've now started to strip my neighbour's tree. They must be moving up the street. Systematic destruction.

My Folksy and Etsy listing today is a hot pink bookmark made from the lovely Queen Anne's lace motif. It's also got a sweet, little tassel.

It's always hard picking a Folksy July Jewel but when I had a quick click through there was only one I could choose. To go with the snowball it's got to be this cute penguin suncatcher from Diomo Glass Gifts.

Now that made you smile.

Take one a day

Day 26

I've been all fingers and thumbs today, literally. Last winter Rolla had a cute pair of mittens with a fold over flap. They came from a high street shop that prides itself on quality. I was soon asked to stitch the thumb because it had started to unravel. They were a very simple design so last night I searched for a pattern to make a pair.

I'd been wanting to use my circular needles to knit in the round. Do you think I could find a pattern I wanted? Who knew that the world of gloves was so complicated? There are fingerless gloves, thumbless, wrist warmers, arm warmers, convertible, fingerless mittens, flip tops and new to me glittens - cross between gloves and mittens.

I wasted hours searching last night and then came across just the thing I wanted -  mittens with a flap. They're by Pretty Knitty Designs and you'll find them on Ravelry. Even more hours were wasted today struggling with four needles because I couldn't get the hang of the circular one. Eventually I found a great video - Knitting tips by Judy

I used a pretty boring inexpensive acrylic because I didn't want to waste good wool. The pattern worked out well but I've only had time to make one.

They look a little bit like oven gloves because they're way too big. This is my hand! My hands are not big.

It's OK for a first attempt but I can't see me adding them to my repertoire. My hat goes off to all you glove makers out there!

Listed today on Folksy is a brown gingham hanger cover with a blue cross stitch heart. I have a stack of wire coat hangers from  dry cleaners. These disguise the hangers and make them a far nicer addition to the wardrobe.

My Folksy July Jewel today is Sophie's Stuff. This set of pretty buttons is just right for adding a touch of vintage. They're really sweet.