Painted Pebbles Update

Here's a little update on the ongoing painted pebbles passion of mine. The two on the left are the ones

from my previous post that were needing their centers finished. Plus a new addition of a bright sun.... perhaps influenced by the glorious summer weather we are having at the moment. It does look very happy with itself doesn't it? Just in case you were wondering the pebbles are coloured with Inktense pencils. They are really lovely to work with and as the name suggests the colours are very, very intense. You can draw them on or use a paintbrush and pick up the colour from the pencils and paint with them. When they dry the colour is set (this is on porous surfaces, stones being almost non porous don't absorb the colour as much but if you washed them off after using the pencils they would be stained)

 

Anyway hope you can also enjoy the sunny weather where ever you are!

Bye for now 

XX Jen XX

A Flutter of Inspiration

It 's been a long time since I last posted, so apologies for neglecting you all!

Hopefully here is a little selection of the things that I have been beavering away at in the last weeks that will make amends for being such a lazy crafter. Over the last few months my mind has been slightly distracted from creating and I didn't even feel like entering my studio. But gradually the feeling that I've now come to know so well crept back into my mind. Teasing me with little snippets of ideas for projects. Like a delicate butterfly  fluttering in my mind's eye inspiration began to take form......... and I have to say it has given me so much satisfaction to be once more making and doing!

Like many of you I'm sure you have stashes of craft materials carefully cached away in our secret spaces and I was quite determined to NOT PURCHASE any new supplies. So I rifled through my hoard of lovely hued merino wool tops and played with wet felting them into strands which became the two bangles you see below. To add a bit of sparkle I once raided my seed bead stash and found colours that would suit. It's unbelievably theraputic to sew tiny little glittering beads onto things. I'll have to stop myself with my clothes. Might get some odd looks.... hey but that's nothing new!

Having been bitten by the wool and felting bug I was then inspired by all of the jolly birdsong going on outside to produce this little birds nest made from a moth eaten old woollen scarf and some fancy fibres. Again wet felted and shaped it then needed some eggs and a little sewn felt bird to finish it off.

Having sated my need to felt and sew I then turned to painting some beach pebbles I had collected with my sister when visiting a nearby Devon beach. Having sought inspiration from my new vice PINTEREST .... gah  what a time hungry monster that beastie is. I got out my gilding leaf and size and laid out the foundation for the pebble below. Have I told you that I'm a magpie? Never satisfied unless something is glittering or shiney!

Well I've had lots of fun painting and gilding and trying to come up with new ideas for the pebbles!

 Here are a pile of finished ones. The gilded ones look lovely in candle light or by our log burner as the flickering picks up the gilding beautifully!

 Two more pebbles awaiting their central theme. But that's for another day and another post. Hopefully I'll come back with another post soon. I know I said that I'd sated my need to felt but there is another project I have on the go which might take a wee while so maybe I should take some progress photos ready for another future post!

Anyway, thanks for dropping by. Have a lovely time of the summer while it lasts, and as Arnie said in Terminator.... I'll be back!

x x Jen x x

Felted and Embroidered Journal

Here's a little coptic bound journal I made the other day. I was fiddling, as you do, with various craft stash pieces in my craft room and found a piece of felt that I'd made (wet felting) a while ago. The colours are so beautiful they really zing, although in our dull winter light the photos don't do it much justice. Anyway as I said, I felt that the felt (sorry!)  should be used for something, not just hidden away in my craft stash to be brought out and looked at every now and then so I cut out the various random shapes and appliqued them to a piece of plain black felt. A bit of embellishment later, voila, I had a couple of journal sized embellished felt panels. 

Using some grunge board as stiffener I sewed black cotton fabric on to make a backing to the panels and then folded and bound some nice quality paper into it. As a finishing touch I used two felted buttons to make the closure.

I'm really pleased with the finished result and glad that I took the plunge to cut up the piece of felt that I'd stashed. Now I've got a little journal to scribble down ideas and notes for future craft projects. Maybe I'll make some more felt and instead of stashing it, I'll make some journals of maybe a kindle cover or two for my etsy shop! Who knows?!!! 

Anyway have fun crafting. xxx Jen