Dolly Doo's win!

Well, I feel I can now post piccies of the item I made for the 25 followers giveaway - as it has arrived with Dollydoo and she is happy with it (at least that is what she said. I get the feeling she is a very nice lady so probably wouldn't say anything if she didn't like it!)

I have recently learnt how to make sulfolk puffs, and after a bit of messing around with some silk and interfacing, I made one of these cuffs for myself.

Unfortunately, the first one was rubbish, but I wear it lots. It looks great with jeans and is a nice alternative to a bracelet. The second one, however, was brilliant, if I say so myself, and that was what she won!

I liked making this so much I promptly made another one, for a friends birthday. This time in green silk, with a hint of gold. This really doesn't photograph well!

I have struggled the most with buttonholes on my '20 quid from lidl' sewing machine, but I am getting better...

She liked it so much, she has ordered a slightly modified version for a wedding, in organza and silk I think, maybe with a narrower band around the cuff.

I am now trying to find a good supply of offcuts and remnants of organza and silk for cheap, as I want to make lots of these in different colours, but cant afford to buy lots of material in each colour. I would like to make some wrist corsages and ones on pins - my friend has a bridal shop, so I am hoping I can get her to stock a few...maybe offer a service making a corsage or fascinator to match a dress for the mothers or bridesmaids. Anyway, still have to formulate my business plan...

Speaking of weddings, better get on, we have one to go to today! The 'evil butterflies attacking a bird' fascinator (looks much nicer than it sounds) I made a few weeks ago is getting it's first outing, plus a corsage I made to go with my dress. I frantically had to search for a cardigan or cover up yesterday straight after school, to cover up the frankly ridiculous sunburn I got on thursday doing a 13mile sponsered walk with the school. I looked like I was wearing a red bib, due to the vest top I was wearing, plus my back is a mismash of lines from my top, rucksack and bra straps - I look like an underground map.

Oh well, it is going brown now, but I still look ridiculous. Fake tan to even it out and a cardigan then!

Will post pictures of the whole ensemble later this week, minus the sunburn. Although I know I am not the fisrt person to get themselves into this kind of pickle, and won't be the last!

Mosaic making for ....3 teachers and a two year old!

Well, I have had a very busy few weeks so blogging has been few and far between recently. I spent a saturday afternoon recently making mosaics with my friends, who are also both teachers. They had been inspired by Kirsty Allsops series, Kirsty's Home Made Home...that woman has got a lot to answer for! Playing the role of Kirsty in the reconstruction are my friends, Nicolette and Claire. Playing the role of the poor sap who has to finish all the work off and tidy up the mess whilst Kirsty totters off into the distance saying 'look how posh I am' - me!

Only I decided they would have to do all the work, so we all got stuck in..including my friends' two year old - phrase of the day - 'my turn!'.

Essential ingredients -

Mosaic tiles,

Broken tiles left over from the kitchen

Large bathroom tiles (doesn't matter what they look like, we went for the public toilet look)

Lots of tile grout

Tile adhesive

A large glass of wine!

We drilled holes in a tile, thinking this would be the best way of eventually attaching them to the garden wall. Then we laid out the design. Much umming and aahing ensured as we tried to make the designs nice and even and straight. (My friend said they could be any colour, as long as it was blue, and any shape. As long as it was symmetrical. and mostly square.)

I managed to add in some green when she wasn't looking! We then added the adhesive. A very messy job indeed!

Things swiftly decended into mayhem! However, we eventually got four completed mosaic tiles, soon to be displayed in my friends garden, once they are all cleaned up and finished. Now, to totter off on my heels. Did I mention I was really posh and rich and stuff?

I wonder - has Kirsty Allsop had an affect on anyone else recently? Any stories which feature crafts gone slightly wrong due to Kirsty and her endeavors?

And the lucky winner is.....

Dollydoo! My husband picked her name out of the hat, so the lucky lady (I hope she thinks so!) gets a lovely silk cuff made to her measurements which will be winging it's way to her as soon as I make it!
I am really pleased as after looking at Dollydoos page on facebook, I really love her things, so bright and quirky!
A soon as it's made I will post piccies of the cuff! (which of course, can be bought on folksy, when I make more!)

25 followers giveaway! And another giveaway - just can't stop giving, me!

Well, just a quick post as I am very excited to announce I have 25 followers! Have jotted down all your names, and will be drawing the winner out of the hat tomorrow - would do it now but you gotta love the suspense! Its the weekend at last, so I will be making the prize tomorrow - will post the winner and a photo of their lovely (I hope!) prize tomorrow!

Hoping the weather will hold out as I am planning some mosaic-ing with my friend on saturday afternoon - I can't believe what a beautiful weekend we had last weekend - may have used up all our summer methinks!

We went to the beach on Sunday, had a lovely time, and a swim - Frreeezzing! but good. The beach we go to is lovely - however as mentioned, it's one of the few nice places in kent - so I am keeping quiet about the location! I will say is is near Folkestone, which is only a 3omin drive from us in sunny Maidstone.

I collected some lovely beach glass that day - most of it very small though, not really big enough to do anything with single pieces - plus some beach 'china' which is lovely - one bit still had a willow pattern on it. Have a few possibilities of what to do with it - but do you lovely lot have any better ideas? I do have some clear resin, but I don't have any molds and I don't fancy waiting to have some delivered! I do have some sterling silver scraps and wire knocking about, and am itching to do some soldering, as haven't in ages - so - what can I make from some beach glass and any other things I am likely to have to hand? Answers on a postcard! As long as the best idea doesn't use up all the glass then the person who suggests it will get one made for them too. Its only fair!

Here are some piccies of my finds. The largest is only about 1.5cm, and the smallest only a few millimetres. There are some gorgeous colours, ranging from really pale blue through to cobalt, and olive to bottle and pale greens. Not the best photo though....

I have had a very long day in London today, on an Interactive whiteboard course for art teachers - really intersting and threw up loads of facinating things that you can do with the internet and with these cool interactive boards..mine arrives at school today, so lots of fun to be had (and work to be done) preparing resources! The training was through Dragonfly (http://www.dragonfly-training.co.uk/) and I would highly recommend it, really thorough and totally useful, not at all boring as eveything was hands on.
One program we found out about was Picassa - I have seen it but never really knew what it was all about - but it apparently finds all the photos and pictures on your computer and sorts them all out for you and makes them much more accessible. It's free, from google - going to download it this evening!
Another thing he showed us was how to add tags to google earth - so if you have actually been somewhere you can 'tag' that area on google earth with your own photos - tres cool!

I am amazed that there are so many free programmes out there that can make life so much easier - just have to find the time to actually download and use them....

My head is buzzing with ideas - my year 10 tommorow won't know what hit them! no more sitting and getting away with just listening to me (or half listening!) they will be interacting all over the place! Will let you know how it goes - hopefully will be getting me a graphics tablet this week too, so will post about my experiments with the laser cutter soon too..

Featured in Rainbow blog

I am really chuffed as one of my flower brroches has been included in a 'Rainbow blog' by Fiona http://jewellerymydesign.blogspot.com/ see it here! Fionas' blog is great - check it out!

Nearly there!

Well, this is just a quick post as I am waiting for hubby to hurry up and get ready so we can go to the beach! I have been totally manic with my proper job this week - yes it's half term, but two days of coursework 'sorting out', paperwork for exam boards and 90 reports to write have made me have to pause the blogging and making this week...boo! but no fear, I will resume....

I now have 22 followers! very excited - and have been trying to make sure I follow and read you blogs too. This week I will start making the cuff I promised to one of the lucky followers, in a teal blue silk - thanks for the comments to help me decide!

I am also going to be busy trying to perfect my use of the laser cutter - going to try using a graphics tablet this week, so all very exciting! Oh yes, and will probably do some teaching as well at some point.....

Right, looks like the man in my life has dragged himself off the sofa, so we're off! I will probably post some pictures of our secret location later - not going to tell any of you where it is though, because its a lovely beach, and mine, all mine! whmahahahahah!