Stampin' Stars Autumn Winter Blog Hop

Festive Flurries!
I know its only the second of September but Christmas is fast approaching. As I am going on holiday over Christmas I am making all of the decorations for the family (and maybe a few to put in my suitcase!)
The new Autumn/Winter Catalogue has just launched in the UK and I have chosen my favourite item to share with you today-

I love my big shot so I decided to buy the Festive Flurries framelet dies as my first purchase from the catalogue.
I enjoy making 3D decorations rather than cards so here is my make for today...

I have used the different sizes of snowflake shapes to create a beautiful 3D Christmas decoration.
I have also used some of the new designer papers and the glitter card to add some sparkle.

I hope you have enjoyed my make, thankyou for visiting come back soon!

Summer School

For the last week I have been on a Summer School at West Dean College- Exploring Rythm and Repetition in Textiles with Dionne Swift.
I met some amazing and very talented people during the week.

We started off with some simple drawing exercises and then used parts of our drawings to screen print onto fabric.
We also tried out different fabric manipulation techniques.

I saw a pattern in Pattern Magic 2 that really inspired me so I used it to create a sculptural piece of textiles with my printed fabric.

I am really pleased with my work from the week and I am going to continue creating sculptural pieces!

Here are some photos of my work...

Gingham Garden

Today is the day of our Stampin' Stars blog hop! From my blog you can follow a trail of brilliant new ideas all made using brand new products that go on sale today!

Ever since I first saw the pre-order list I have loved the new Gingham Garden designer series paper. The paper is very summery and fresh and I love the different floral designs. The papers feature 6 colours some of them brand new for 2013- Night of Navy, Island Indigo, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White. All products featured are available to order from today.

I have had great fun creating giant 3D flowers and gift bows with the new paper. I have used the new white simply pressed clay and the new ink colours to create my own buttons and embellishments.
Below are my paper creations

To go back to the sticky elf click below

Or to hop on to oakfield crafts click here

www.oakfieldcrafts.blogspot.co.uk

www.thestickyelf.co.uk

Time to sell

As I have just finished my level 2 city and guilds in upholstery it is time to sell my work.
If only I had the space to keep it all!
My beautiful hand decorated modern butterfly chair is my favourite piece from the year, I am looking for offers in the region of £200.
I also have my two victorian balloon back chairs, these are a matching pair traditionally upholstered, I would like £80 each or £150 for the pair.
I am lucky enough to have a lovely grandad who had made me some oak legs for my giant traditional footstool.  This would look lovely next to my butterfly chair as it is also a bright and vibrant green! I would like £50 for this piece.
I am selling to raise money to buy my own upholstery tools so I can continue working over the summer!
I am open to all reasonable offers please contact me for more information!

Cute as a Button

Button,Button is one of my favourite Stampin' Up stamp sets! I love buttons I must have millions of them! I now also have to mould to make my own! (Coming Soon!). I decided to have a play with my buttons and make something different- not just a card. I have made a pillow box- great for favours, covered a small notebook and made my own gift bows/decorations. 

Best of Flowers

Best of Flowers is a new special set released as part of Stampin' Up!'s 25 years Celebration and I LOVE IT! It is not a set that I would normally buy but I was given it at a Stampin' Up! Convention in Telford. I have used it non stop since I got home, I have used it on the note book and my friends wedding card as featured below. It is £13.95 and only available in clear- contact me for more details.

This card features a small butterfly embellishment that I made using Martha Stewart air dry clay and moulds.
(soon to be coming to Stampin' Up!)

A little bit more upholstery...

I have been collecting little foot stalls from charity shops over the last few months to re-upholster and 'up-cycle'. I also contacted some fabric companies and asked for samples- a very nice company based in Ringwood replied offering me some of their old fabric books. When I collected them I was delighted as there were almost 10 large and small fabric books. I have used these to create retro foot stalls- the brightly coloured one I gave to my Nan and Grandad for Christmas and the neutral coloured one I am selling on Etsy. I have replaced the foam on both foot stalls.

Wedding presents..

What do you buy someone who has everything?
You make them something! Saturday 18th May was my best friends wedding, she already has a flat and a little girl so i had no idea what to get her, I decided to get her a cinema voucher and I made her a lovely folder to put it in. I used a sheet of 12x12 scored it at 6" folded it in half and made a flap at the bottom to create pockets. I used the in-colour pens to stamp a new set I got given at Telford- best of flowers. I found some velum with the definition of marriage printed on it and used this to cover the outside. I finished it off with a burgandy ribbon and made a matching card.
Here it is...

All of a flutter

As part of my Apprenticeship at Rolls Royce I go to Chichester College to do Upholstery. I am learning traditional and modern upholstery which I am thoroughly enjoying.
As most of my friends know I am obsessed with Butterflies! For my modern project I wanted to create something vibrant and fresh. I fell in love with a bright striped fabric in Fabric Warehouse and was delighted to see a giant butterfly stamp (Swallowtail) in the 2013 Spring/Summer Catalogue. I used this stamp on plain green and purple cotton, I tested out the inks to see if they would rub off under water- they didn't- so I used them to stamp the butterfly in matching colours. I used the same shape Butterfly from the stamp to create the giant Butterfly for the back of the chair; I quilted and decorated this with sequins and beads. I finished off my chair with rouched piping, i really think that this has a lovely effect- I have been told it looks like a caterpillar running around the edge of my chair.
My chair will be for sale from the beginning of July; Contact me for more details :)

To this!

Here is my creation-

From this-

And the back!

Up close with the Butterflies
Rouched piping

A trail of Butterflies

Where do I start?!

So, as I am interested in so many different aspects of craft it is hard to decide what to start with!
I've been busy in my craft room today creating a bundle of beautifully decorated stationary for my Great Aunts Birthday present- I think I will start with this!

I have decided to use some of my favorite items from the Stampin' Up! Spring/Summer 2013 Catalogue to create a complete matching set of useful stationary. I have started with a small notebook and mini folder with matching notelets.

The front of my mini folder.

The inside of my mini-folder it holds eight mini notelets.

Mini Notelet

The front of my little notebook

Inside pages of the notebook.

To make these I have used Time for tea paper , Bakers twine, Tea time Trinkets,  Paper Doilies, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Crumb cake ink pad, Pearl basic Jewels, a stamp set from Sale-A-Bration and the Daisy stamp from my 'Best of Flowers' Stamp set which I was given at a recent Convention. ( I love the set!)