Craftster Swap

I use a crafting forum called Craftster on a regular basis, I mainly like looking at all the things everyone has been making but it also hosts a huge amount of tutorials and nifty 'how to's'.

One of the girls I chat to about screen printing and embroidery asked if I would be interested in making some work to swap. What a fun idea huh! So I can finally share what we've both done as everyone has received their surprise packages!

This is the package I sent to sheepBlue; two screenprinted and embroidered hooplas a screen printed handmade tote bag and some mesh for making your own silkscreens.

I made a tote bag with some polka dot handles using fabric I printed with a lion repeat. Its an old drawing but I like the effect of the repeat.

 

 

The space hoopla is very similar to the last one I did, although I used a purple print on the line work instead of navy, there had also been a second layer of colour print in my original one as I'd mixed in some halftone texture that we had on another screen in a light blue. I wanted to try and give it a more 1970's feel with psychedelic rainbow colours =) 

Mr Zebra hoopla was just a bit of fun really. It's only a 3 or 4" hoop, so really small, I had a few scraps of the zebra repeat after making a knitting tidy for my mum ages ago. (I posted about it on Craftster). So I decided just to do some fun fill stitches into the zebra and a bit of scallopping too.

It was my first attempt at putting a felt backing on the hoops. It's not quite perfect for my liking but not the worst thing either.

sheepBlue loved her package, I'm super happy as mine was pretty awesome too! You should definitely look at her blog and Esty shop. I bought cat cards from her in the past that are a beautiful print.

Here are my beautiful gifts! A stunning printed embroidered flamingo print hoopla and some brillliant jaw bone printed pillowcases. You can read more about how she made the pillows here. She's a nutter and did each print indvidually, but she's working from home rather than having a studio so big ups to home diy crafts!

 

 

 

So I will end this post with something special as it's a long one and I'm impressed you're still reading =) Thanks to Lulu from A Vintage Daydream for this one! I can't wait to see my gift!!

What's going down:

The first three people to comment on this post will receive a little gift - something personal from me to you.

Within 2 months I'll create something unique to share with the first three people to comment on this post.

But in order to receive your present you have to play along.

Spread the love on your own blog promising to send a little special something to the first three people who comment on your post. You get 72 hours to re-post, or I'll have to move on to the next person. Please only comment if you're willing to pay it forward. If you want to receive something unique from me in the mail and if you are willing to do the same for others, leave a comment below!

Please leave your email address so that I can contact you directly! And blog URL so that I and others can visit your blog! Again, I want to emphasize that please only comment if you're willing to pay it forward. Nobody likes a taker.

Who's down for paying it forward craft style?

I finally kinda have a day off... but not really!

This has been a busy action packed week and now I'm exhausted. Started off on Monday with a stall at the Buffalo Mini Mart in Cardiff that was fun.

This was me sorting out my rail of things to sell beforehand!

I also made a few new tote bags to sell at the fair. Here's a couple of my favourites.

I'd printed a pile of bags when I was printing on the skirts etc on Sunday and then finished them off with the lace on Monday. Here are a few pics I took when at the PrintHaus.

The rest of the week has been a couple of days sorting tshirts at Visible Arts and then preparing for the One Planet Living Festival. I finished the flags (I'm waiting on photos to put up) and made some more bunting for Becca.

15 metres later... haha! ooh and fixing new zips in vintage dresses for a shop in town.

So then yesterday was the big day and it was awesome! Loads of people milling around which is great. I was running a little workshop making wallets or purses out of woven paper. I'd picked up a pile of old annuals from a carboot and we used those and a mixture of magazines to make them from. Spot the Beano in there!!

I used gaffer tape to edge them and keep them together, this one's white but I did indulge and bought a host of colours for everyone to use!

Jude and Nigel from the PrintHaus had the stall next to me so I had a great view of my designs getting printed. The kids were loving my cat on a bike design!

Dan's niece looks like a happy customer :) thanks for the picture!

My other design too!

Go Gavin!!

So today I am taking it easy(ish) after the mamouth washing up pile, I admit the house worked slipped this week haha and I ended up with a Daisy from Spaced in the kitchen moment of horror!

I've started putting some fabric in hoops that I'm going to embroider into, sneak peak -

The top one is just a pretty Ikea fabric I like but the bottom one is one of my screen prints.....oooooooh! So now I'm sat back in bed watching Grey's Anatomy and doing a bit of stitching with the cat curled up next to me. Thom (my yummy Mr) is off recording music with the band he's in with my brother; can't wait to here it later! Hope you're enjoying your Sunday Afternoon too x

Totes Galore.

I've spent the past week up to my neck with work and hay fever. I swear I'm queen of last minute random stuff. This week I was approached by Dave from Droneboy Laundry as he is opening a new 'pop up shop' for the next six weeks in Castle Arcade in Cardiff. He asked me to make 'Droneboy' cushions for a bench/seating area in the shop and also if I'd like to also sell some of my own work in there! Of course I couldn't turn down an opportunity like that, so got on doing some crazy hours sewing my little sneezy socks off.

The droneboy character is a traffic cone with trainers in its simplest form so I made some plush cushions!

I haven't properly restocked my sellables box since the last fair I did so I decided the easiest thing to do was to use up some of the plain shopping bags I'd bought and print some of my more recent designs. The balloon screen worked really well compositionally on the bag but I do love the intense pattern of the carousel horse repeat.

Here's the collection that I've taken down to the 'Lo Coal Storerooom' . I've also dropped down a jar of eyeballs and another filled with severed zombie fingers! Today I'm working on some more felt badges to take down and there's gonna be some more fun stuff printed and stitched up next week. I'm really excited about whats coming soon hehe.

(there's loads sorry :) )

 

I made some tags up using brown luggage tags that I found up in the village post office.

And then got to finally put the Kimble gun I bought off eBay months ago into good use!! lol what a silly spontaneous purchase it was!

Here's a few action shots from down the PrintHaus on Tuesday night.