Young Craftster's Creation

The other month I crocheted a little pig, and named him Iggy. I felt he needed a new home as I never like to keep my own creations. My mum told me of her friends 8 year old grand-daughter who often gives my mum hugs at church and is a constant sunny presence. So I decided I'd send her Iggy the Pig with a little thank you for looking after my mum.

Well! I was extremely chuffed and surprised to receive in the post a thank you card with a fantastic pair of hand made earrings by the young craftster herself! 

I wore them to work, proudly telling everyone who had made them.

Thank You Nicole! Keep up the Good Work, very impressed!

Me in Handmade Earrings

Hannahmade Rubber Stamps

So I keep my rubber stamps in a stamp box, lol, see the pun? I love puns, hot cross puns!

Since I was little I've watched my Dad carve, from wooden animals to lino cuts. 

He got me into lino cuts around my early teens, and I guess I took it for granted at the time. 

My favourite lino print of his is his dandelion print, we still have lots of his lino cuts in the cupboard, just looking at them takes me back in time.

Although lino is beautiful and you can get intricate gorgeous detail, carving erasers is quick, fun, cheap and easy. Have a look at my tutorial for a rough outline.

 Course, one of the key things to remember about carving writing in a stamp, is always reverse the image.


I had to do these letters and the snail mail twice because I wasn't thinking and forgot to reverse the letters. It does show how quick one can do them though as I did the lot in one evening.
Only 17 more letters to go!

Remember to reverse your image!

H.Bs How! Stamps

Ingrediants:
An Eraser, A Pen, An Idea
Some Carving Tools (acquired from pound shops to art shops)
Some Ink Pads (acquired from art and stationary shops)



Think of something, ok? Now draw it on your eraser.

  Using a thin line cutter, gently cut
the line. This should be like a hot
knife through butter, so go careful.

 Using your little ink-pad, colour onto the stamp et viola! you're good to go!

 And of course if you'd like to tweak it, you can always add little
establishment like the little heart I
added to mine.

Once you get the hang of it you can create all sorts, for instance this tree, and by using the little ink-pads, you can easily apply different colours to different areas.

That's a Hannah How For Now! Give it a Go :)

Padded Marvel Sleeve for BG's PSP

Big Griz now has a PSP and I saw some amazing Marvel fabric online. I couldn't resist and brought a yard and made BG's PSP a padded sleeve:

It's lined with a soft blanket fabric, then wadding is sandwiched between the 2 fabrics, it has a drawstring, it was all a bit fiddly, but it fits well. I got loads of Marvel fabric left, just gotta find the right project for it...

Fabric Sketchbook August Update

Thought you might like to know how the fabric sketchbook is coming along.
Well it's a long haul project.
Just finished the body of the cup before I realised I hadn't quite done the stitches properly but I still quite like it. It just needs the black lines embroidered and an iron (and maybe a whisp of steam) then that one will be finished.
The leaves and tree one on the right has been worked on more, the branches are now stitched 2 shades of brown.

The one on the right is going to have it's pot stitched fully, much like the cup.
I need to go down to the craft shop and top up my threads. The green mug used about 3-4 mini skeins of thread. I been using cheap ones and they unravel soo easily, so from now on I buy the good stuff.
I love an excuse to go down to the fab craft shops in Nicholas' Market, and maybe pop my head into the glorious Fabric Land.
I got a lovely comment next to my mug on flickr and one of my unworked pieces, it really does warm ur heart when someone is nice :)
I shall keep you updated as I go.
Love and Hugs Peps :)

The Sketchbook Project 2012: Grey Side of Life

I heard about The Sketchbook Project a few years ago but was busy with studies so didn't have the time.

So when I heard of it again via the Bristol Sketchers, I thought it would be a great creative focus.

With my father's illness I have made it my goal to look closer at the elderly, be kinder, watch, listen and learn.

So I picked the sketchbook project theme 'Grey Side of Life' because I could then lean it towards documenting the elderly in the world around me.

Here's a sneak preview of my work so far:

All About Me-WIP

Inspired by ArtCerum on flickr's All About Me artwork, I have been working on a piece of artwork that sums me up.
This is my work in progress:

All the hands around the long haired character (me-ish) symbolise being handy, applauses, waves, hugs, pats on back and creating.
The city is where I am from, Convolvulus (Bindweed) is my favourite plant because it is considered a weed but it reclaims the city back to nature.
I remember, when I was a kid, it covering all the chicken wire around the wastegrounds in South London and we'd pick the flowers and put them in our hair or try and fill them with water or pretend they were trumpets, good times.
So far the sky and the hands are painted on with gouache (i know not the stablest of paints but I just love using it!) the buildings are fabric and have been glued on ( I intend to stitch them on)
I shan't spoil with what I plan next just watch this space.
You can tell I'm enjoying my fabrics lately :)

I Like Swimming!!

Here's a mini comic I did a while back about my friend Emi's wave machine, Hi Emi!

Swimming Diary:
I didn't over think my laps today.

I just dove in and swam, I focused on my breathing. I can do it for a while then someone passes me and I panic and have to do a double breath or flip onto my back.

But I've did a few laps today without flipping on my back :D

I could have done a few more laps too, I felt great afterwards.

I always go in one of the two slow lanes and have to negotiate over-fast swimmers or extremely slow (usually older ladies) swimmers.

One time I was all tutty and impatient about an older women in front of me, then she got out the pool and had to use a walking stick. Changed my perspective quick smart!

Today I was switching lanes to give the slower and faster swimmers some space. The really slow lady I could see under water was actually treading/walking water lap by lap, I wondered if a doc had recommended it. I can see it would be good exercise for an older lady.