holiday crafts and a few randoms

I get given lots of those small little hotel soaps, and I still have fleece left over from Steiner classes... this year someones getting felted soaps for christmas!

 It's surprisingly simple, just wrap, add hot water, rub and squeeze, for ages. 

Cleaning out the cupboards gave me: cardboard, fleece, felt, buttons, bark and paint.  So i present a magical elf land!  Next year my classroom is going to be filled with this sort of stuff!

Couple of old crafts now, actually I might have done this but I can't remember, so forgive me if you've seen them before!

Chalkboard paint was on sale.

The above table was outside someone else's house with "Free" written on it.

The old pinboard below got a new lease on life.

Crafty Fingers

I have found myself overloaded with pillow slips, Ki has found herself living in a hippie commune, and Melody has requested a craft night, so:

 Crafty Fingers Presents: 

Prayer Flags

Saturday 16th July: 3pm: My House 

Ingredients:

• Material (optional to bring... i'll share my pillow cases)
• I have household and artist paint, along with vivids, bring along anything else you might want to use to decorate...
• Scissors... I have three pairs, is that enough?
• Thread and needles supplied
• Rope, elastic or string for hanging (I think i'll use those shoe laces I never used!)
• Imagination!

I am planning on using the symbols in the image above.  I am, however, attaching an article about prayer flags that talks about their different purposes so you might like to consider alternative ideas for personal significance.

Hope to see you there!


Be Well

my very own bedside table

  Ingredients:

remains of an old white cupboard you've had since childhood

your fathers saw

your fathers nails

your own brand new hammer

I created a pattern on the wood and cut then nailed it together. maybe i'll sand the rough edges at some point.. probably not.

rocket science really!

Be Well

30th Birthday Dinosaur

once upon a time there was a hardworking twelve year old boy who spent one hour each week at home economics creating a plush toy dinosaur.

after slaving for an entire term it was finally complete and he chose to give this dinosaur to his favourite sister.

Then he pissed me off and i ripped its arms and legs off.

so now… eighteen years later, still holding the guilt of being the world’s worst sister i seek redemption.

Ingredients:

large amount of material

usual sewing resources

stuffing

two eye buttons

four limb buttons

guilt

one old photo

I found the only picture of me with the dinosaur and set to creating a pattern myself, after many unsuccessful internet searches.  i even contacted the school but that program doesn't exist anymore  :(

i made cardboard cutouts cos i find it easier to trace something.  Cut out, sewed inside out leaving the gap to turn it right side out again, stuffed and sew closed.  when you have two arms, two legs and one body (complete with eyes) attach them all together with the buttons

ahh i feel the guilt subsiding already!

Happy 30th Birthday David!!

Be Well!

Bird Mobile

my sister in law found this blog that had a bird mobile and hinted incredibly obviously that she wanted me to create it for her and her then developing child...  it took longer than first anticipated but its now complete.  Sorry about the lack of photo's... hadn't even created the blog when i started!

Ingredients:

lots of different material

usual sewing requirements

stuffing

sticks collected from the reserve

flax, dried or fresh

glue

LOTS of patience and ingenuity

 i had a pattern (sorry can't upload it, tried but failed) so set to crafting 10 birds

i constructed the mobile by plaiting strips of flax and using a mixture of knots and glue to attach the twigs together

  

then i sewed little pieces of flax onto the chest of the bird and tied them to the twigs

got a ring and attached it to more flax for the hanging bit and thus completed!

the birds from behind

  

and the mobile front on.

Took awhile but i'm sure it will be a loved christmas present for the newborn and his mother 

Be Well!

Home Sweet Home Decorative Sign

so i was walking along the beach quite some time ago and picked up a cool looking piece of wood which has traveled with me, unused, until today. turns out I've hand crafted a gift for every family bar one, so threw together a little home sign for them.

Ingredients:

One piece of wood

appropriate amount of black sand

wood glue

paint brush

color pencils

vivid

buttons

wooden buzzy bee

hemp or wool

frame metal round things

First i sanded the wood and mapped out a design on paper

drew the outline in pencil and vivid then brushed the inside with glue and applied sand

(this took a few goes to get it looking perfect)

I then did green edging on the letters including the outside of the sand

(not that you can really tell from this picture)

spent quite some time deciding on the button placement and style while tossing up whether to add some blue

next i plaited some hemp and tied it onto the little frame hanging things and voila!

another christmas present hits the dust or at least the wrapping paper!

the all encompassing

i wrote this song while living in stanmore bay.  its about seeing from gods perspective and the longing i hold to strive toward the personal mentorship of an enlightened and almighty being

because when it comes down to it sense is senseless without a reason.

Be well!!