Recently

It's been quite a while, almost a year really, since I last blogged.  Lets say I lost my creative touch for a bit.. but now things are going more smoothly which means the stress has gone and there's room available in my brain to create things that make me happy.

This one's a keeper

This cushion is something I made a little while ago. My partner bought me a kids t-shirt with the bike design on it thinking I could make something with it, and this was the end result.  My favourite part is the buttons - I bought a colourful selection on ebay for just a few pounds.  But of course, I'm very happy with it as a whole, and will defiantly keep this one for myself.

Other cushions.. well I have a few more kids t-shirts lying around (no, I don't have children, so yes, I do go shopping in the sales for kids t-shirts to cut up - not that I need an excuse, but they have the best designs and are cheaper than adult clothes!) ready to up-cycle into something better, and so that I can keep making and not clutter up the bed/sofa/house with albeit lovely things, I'm going to put my creations up for sale on etsy.  I have sold a card or two on there before so know the gist of it, but this will still be new and exciting.  Once I have a few cushions made I'll list them for sale and hope they go (and to a good home) before I'm tempted to unlist and keep them!

Can you see a theme here? :)

Next in the running..
(apologies for my poor photography skills!) I bought the 'real' fabric yesterday and may not use it all but it's a start.  I'll use plain pieces too I'm sure, and the backing piece will just be something simple.

I'm moving house in a couple of weeks, out of the parents and into our first place with my partner.  One thing I'm really looking forward to is our 'workroom'!  For his bikes and my crafting :o)  It will be nice to have a dedicated space, it will mean the rest of the house isn't covered in random bits of fabric (or bike parts) too! .. or at least that's the theory ... :D

Flags!

After a long while of no creative blogging there will be another long whole of none as my partner and I are heading off in a few days time to cycle around Europe for two months!  Before we go, I'm back at home (parents home but now my only home too as I've finished uni and moved out of the big city, yey) for a few days and we're having a bbq tonight with some people over to celebrate our leaving on our adventure!  Mum and I made some quick flags to hang in the trees.  None of this fancy tape and edging and ribbon nonsense - I cut the triangles, then she sewed them on the string in about 3 mins flat.  Stand back and admire!  It just goes to show the simplest approaches can be just as effective as something you've slaved over for hours.

Today's theme: the home

This morning I felt a bit like this in my brain.. squashed. So, despite planning today as being a 'uni work' day, I decided it had to at least start off being a tidying day. This morning I hoovered and mopped and ciffed and fixed and washed and shook and plumped and folded and rearranged... and finally I was satisfied. The clutter has become neat piles, most notably the fabric which was previously stuffed into a bag - it now has a shelf to itself! All my creative things now have a space for themselves rather than being strewn about the room and after a cup of tea I felt my brain relax a little :] Then I remembered receiving a change of address note from a relative - so, feeling happier, I decided to make her a new home card. I'm quite chuffed with it - I almost want to keep it and frame it I like it so much - my best creations are often the most spontaneous ones! For the photograph as reference I may make another to sell in my etsy shop (click here to visit!) when I finally get round to buying more posh card.

Happy New Year.. and I'm already a month ahead of myself!

Happy New Year to you all, I hope everyone had an enjoyable festive period. Despite urgently needing to do more revision for forthcoming exams I'm taking a wee time out to post on here. Just as I took a wee time out the other afternoon to play with some tea and paper and make some cards.

Etsy had been sending me e-mails about Valentines related things (already?!) so I had a go at making some cards. I've only made three cards to put on Etsy before and non of them have sold. However, after putting two new ones up online last night.. one of them has sold!

Here it is, an 'I Love You Forever' Valentine (or just because) card, made using tea stained paper and some stamps I got given last Christmas. I faffed about with the printer and normal paper to get the 'i' and 'you' printing aligned properly and eventually this was the result! Don't tell the buyer, but under the 'Love' there is also an 'i' and there is a 'you' under the 'Forever'... Don't look at me like that - ok, ok, it was meant to read 'I Love You' but I got the printing wrong so edited it slightly. It was my last card and I didn't want to waste it - these things are expensive you know! In total I received £3.11 (including money towards postage) after all the various fees (PayPal charge currency conversion fees don't you know.. I didn't, boo) and postage and packing costs I'm left with .. wait for it .. 29p. In fact, minus that because that probably doesn't cover the cost of ink, the card, envelope and the cellophane envelope.

Aaaaaannyway. It was fun to make and I liked the finished result. For me it was all about seeing if I could make a card that someone else would want to pay for - and I did! So I'm happy. And I upped my postage prices :]

Mulled Cranberry and Apple Jelly

Good evening everyone. I've spent a busy afternoon making some 'Mulled Cranberry and Apple Jelly'. I've never made jam or jelly before but when I found this recipe I decided to give making a few jars a go.

I halved the ingredient quantities as I only wanted to make a few jars as Christmas gifts, and having never made it or anything like it before I was doubtful of if it would work.

The kitchen is very messy now but I think it was worth it. I enjoyed the process, the smells and the delight when it looked like it was doing the right thing!

Here is one of the jars with its Christmassy hat on, ready to give as a gift when I go home for the festive time. I tried some on toast just now and it was really very nice. I had worried it was perhaps too sweet when I tasted after I put it in the jars, but on toast I did enjoy it and really didn't need much at all.

So.. what should I try making next? Once this creation has been eaten and I have all the posh jars back that is.. :]

Happy Creative Christmas!

Homemade tree decorations including
Harris Tweed stocking, by mother, for me, with love ♥

This year's addition to the Creative Christmas Collection - my garland.
Felt, gold thread, seed beads, red embroidery thread, blanket stitch, ribbon ♥

Getting Creative in the Kitchen

I've been away from Glasgow recently staying with Gregor as his folks are away for a month. I think it has been good for us both, I certainly am enjoying having his company :) On days when Gregor is working its been my job to make lunches and dinner. The other day I made some Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Chilli soup - yuuuummmy! It really was delicious. I used a recipe from the Covent Garden A Soup For Every Day of the Year book, only making one substitution which was using dried chilli flakes instead of fresh chilli.

The finished soup looked scrummy in the green bowls! It didn't last long. I'll have to make some more next week.

My favourite soup has always been (chunky!) leek and potato, but maybe I'll be converted to something else if I practice more recipes from the soup book. What's your favourite soup and how do you make it?