All posts filed under: Crafts

Sun prints

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I read about sun prints in a post by Jeanette at Artchoo I think, I honestly can’t remember where I saw the idea, but I am sure it is not my own!  Anyway, go see Artchoo, it is chock full of kids art projects and ideas! We used construction paper and random objects and put them in full sun for the afternoon. After a few hours (about 5), the magic was revealed!  I think there is more we can do with these ‘prints’.  Watch this space (mainly because I haven’t done anything with them yet!). I made a heart with buttons which moved slightly during the process and gave a double exposure effect.  I love the scissors, the blue paper was very successful.   Construction paper fades out so quickly I am sure this would work well in less sun and less time. I see more sun print experiments in our summer break.  What are you up to?  Making lots of art and having a great time I hope!  

June 2013 Photo a day

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I cannot believe how fast June has zipped by (I am sure I say that every month!).  At the same time, when I look back at the photos from the beginning of the month, they seem so long ago. We have been on holiday to Cape Cod for two whole weeks, then I was back in St Louis for about 10 minutes and I was off to New York for the Alt Summit and a lovely weekend in Brooklyn. It has been hot and cool and wet and stormy. I followed the A Month of… prompts from Just B Australia for most of the month, but by the last week I was back to Fat Mum Slim.  Apparently it is harder to break a habit than I thought!  I do enjoy the FMS prompts though even though they do circle round on a regular basis, but that just makes for a new photo challenge, n’est pas?! Well, here are  my June daily snaps. 1. Tea 2. Story. 3. Fabric 4. Party.  Pie from Marion’s Pie …

Let’s spray stuff gold!

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Remember the frame I got at the yard sale a couple of weeks ago?  Well, I got some spray paint today and made it all fancy. I also painted a sheet of cardboard with chalkboard paint so that I could use the frame as a snazzy chalkboard too. Once I got that paint though, I wanted to spray everything, I managed to stop at the cow, but I can’t promise I won’t start spraying again soon. Here is the frame spraying in pictures. Of course I couldn’t stop at a golden frame, so the cow got golden too!  I think he likes it. Ta Da! Do you have the urge to spray paint stuff?  Bet you do now!!

Weekend Adventures

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On Friday I spotted a little tiny ‘Moving Sale’ sign for Saturday morning.  I made a mental note  which are frankly not to be relied on, I work better with a note written on my hand!  I can’t remember anything, it all has to be written down somewhere… On Saturday, I left a bit earlier so that I could pop into the sale on the way to bootcamp class.  I carry my weights in my backpack, so I grabbed my mat  and off I went to class, via the moving sale. I saw some little glass and ceramic bowls which I like to use to sort beads into when I am choosing colours, the whole box was the deal, so I snagged that.  Then I saw some massive, clear, crystal cut,  acrylic beads in the bottom of a plant saucer, I asked if they were for sale and they were mine! Off I went with my box of bowls and beads, yoga mat and 16lbs of weights!  Thankfully I only got a few awkward steps …

Cute pom pom Caterpillar!

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I love a pom pom and even more, I love a pile of pom poms, a gaggle, a gathering of the fluffy little critters. So, I made some little pom poms with some random balls of wool from The Upcycle Exchange.  Go here to see how to make cutesy pie pom poms.  I ended up with a little pile of successful ones, some wool doesn’t lend itself to a good fluffy pom pom, so a few fails are to be expected. What to do with my mini pom poms I hear you cry? How can I use some of these teeny tiny buttons, maybe for eyes?  If my little creature has eyes, well then it needs a heart. A caterpillar of course! I threaded the pom poms together and pulled the wool so that they all smushed together in a friendly manner.  At the head end I attached two button eyes and in the middle of two pom poms went the heart button. When he is all fastened together, you may need to take him …

Let’s make jewelry

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When I am having a blergh day, I often pull out my beads and make something, anything to get me out of my fug. Allergies have knocked me sideways this week and I feel like laying down and staying there most of the time. Which is frankly inconvenient. So onwards I must go, via the beads. Here they are. I want to make a necklace with this. And a necklace with these. And a wire hoop or heart with these. Let’s go and make stuff! First, let’s check the peas growing in the garden.  Distracted?  Moi?  Little bit.  The sun was shining yesterday and the peas were popping out all over the place.  We decided to leave them to grow a little bit more before grabbing a few to eat.  Hopefully the bunnies will leave them alone. This first picture is the big fat garlic growing nicely.  Hopefully the bulbs look as good as the leaves and stalks.  Can’t wait to dig them up in June and roast our very own garlic. Here are the …

1977 Needlework and Crafts

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Happy Earth Day! Remember to recycle and reuse. Walk or bike where you can. Plant some vegetables or some flowers or some herbs, or all of them! May your trash can be empty, your legs be strong and your garden green! Talking of recycling, look at this fab McCall’s Needlework and Crafts magazine from Spring 1977.  In 1977 I was seven years old and into ‘Sindy’ dolls and ‘Spirograph’. These crochet flowers are gorgeous and check the fake soil and moss! Creepy or cute? Same question.  I quite like the gangly rabbit, but his teeth look like they want to eat me, or those mice.  Pick the mice Mr Rabbit. Of course I adore these macrame pieces.  I think they are a little bit cool, even the tiles they are photographed on are cool.  I love the statement on the opposite page ‘macrame jewelry is always right!’  Maybe I will steal that tag line for my catseatdogs jewelry! Now, here is something I want to make.  Peas in a pod which unzips!  That place mat …

Sunshine, Peas, Cookies and Coffee!

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Yesterday was a tired, get nothing done kind of day. A day where I almost put a dirty glass in the freezer to wash it.  I am sure I will find the butter in the cupboard and the Marmite in the fridge!!  You know the kind of day. A pretty useless one. Today however is a different day altogether. I am feeling good, the sun is shining so I am wearing these I did a great class at the gym where I could hardly drink my water and breathe at the same time.  Lots of running, jumping and breathing. In my book that’s a good one!  The down side is walking to Michael’s and Whole Foods glowing red in the face! I  bought this massive crochet hook which is the size of a baseball bat and the brand ‘Crochet Dude’ cracked me up!!  Now I can embark on my maiden crochet project voyage – a nice chunky cowl scraf thingy.  Don’t worry that summer is hurtling towards us, it will probably take me until November …

February Photo a Day 2013

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Another month of daily photos complete!  I must say, I do like to look back over the month and see what I took.  Some of this month’s have been a struggle and resulted in a quick snap and done, like ‘fork’ and ‘where you ate your lunch’.  On the other hand I am really happy with some of the photos like the ‘hope’ mittens and the last one ‘upside down’.  Nothing like a mess about with a few apps to make a boring prompt a bit more interesting, which I suppose is the whole point of the challenge. If you fancy joining in, here are the March prompts – Fat Mum Slim photo a day. Day 1. Fork Fork in a cake at Handmade Happy Hour in Home Wine Kitchen which is a fabulous local restaurant and venue. Day 2. Pattern. Close up of the pattern in some vintage fabric I bought from Miss Ohio Vintage, I plan to make a summer infinity scarf with it. Day 3. Something beginning with e.   A school …

Crochet list…

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Things I have learnt about crochet and the learning process of this noble art. 1. I want to be good at it so badly. 2. I’m not. Yet. 3. I need to practice and not give up because I can’t do it well. 4. Crocheting friends help a lot, even over the interweb. 5. I stick out my pinky when I am manipulating the yarn. 6. I want pretty yarn. 7. I pull my best concentrating face while making my crochet attempts. 8. Swearing is involved but doesn’t help much. 9. I crochet way too tightly. Need to loosen up man… 10. Even though my first ever crocheted item I have made in my life is a bracelet which is barely 6inches round, I am a proud beginner! 11. I want to buy sweaters at goodwill to unravel for the wool.