Felted Bag

The main thing I made in my felting classes (which I've only just finished) was a bag.


I managed to use one of my buttons on the front!
It's lined (with pockets and everything)

I also embroidered some pretty sea creatures and random swirls on it.



Also, in personal news, I've got a job and start next Wednesday. To be honest, I was hoping for a longer period of unemployment so I could get stuff done, but I shouldn't complain!

Glass Platter

I arrived back in Melbourne last night without any problems, it was a long drive but it's good to be home, although I think I'll be unpacking and sorting things out for at least a week. I'm already making a pile of clothes I haven't worn in the last year, which I suppose is what you get for moving out, but still keeping a heap of stuff with your parents.

Just before I left Adelaide I did a four week glass fusing and slumping course, which was really cool, and I made this platter which I'm really proud of.

This picture shows the whole thing:


And this is a close up of the center with the gorgeous dichroic glass (expensive, but lovely) and some fingerprints!

Moving

I've just got one and a bit more days in Adelaide. On Saturday morning I'm driving back to Melbourne (and hoping everything fits in my car!). I was going to get help moving but my mum and dad are both overseas (separately) so I've got a long drive by myself...without airconditioning - although the current weather report my computer is giving me is 26*C, so it doesn't sound too bad. I also dropped a few boxes off to get put on the train back to Melbourne the other day, so I'm not trying to take everything I've accumulated over the last year back.

So I'll probably be posting next from Melbourne, and I'll get to play with my sewing machine. Lots of fun!

Felted Needle Book

Near the end of my second felting class I was running out of time so I made a small, random piece of felt using some of the roving that was left. Then I decided to chop it up and use it for something I've needed for a while...a needle book. I've been putting all my embroidery needles in one packet, and most of them are too small for the slots, so I decided to stop losing them, and make something to hold it.

I wanted to use the natural shape of the felt for the cover and it worked quite well, the whole thing has a bit of a rustic look to it but I think it works well, and it's lovely and cushy and soft. It's also doing it's job properly, but I should have made something to hold my needles a while ago.

Felted bookmark

I made this bookmark at a wet felting course I did. It was lots of fun, and helped with some of the intimidation I had about having a go (it's really easy). The bookmark was for a friend of mine who is doing a creativity course so I knew it would be appreciated, and hoped it would also provide a bit of inspiration. She was very happy with it, so that's good! I initially made a bigger piece but it was too wide for a bookmark, so I cut it down and did some bright blanket stitch around the edge which brought it all together nicely.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! In honour of the day, I made a love related ATC, which is very out of focus, because I scanned it. Never mind.



Anyhoo, I also need suggestions, because my dad might be going to the US and if he does I'm giving him a list of stuff to buy for me (especially as he was going to help me move at the time he might be going). He is however, a boy, and uncrafty, so it probably can't be too big or complicated. Because I'm overworked (I had to steal popcorn from work for dinner last night at 10pm because I was starving) I may have left out something incredibly obvious, so let me know. Here's what I've got so far:
- shrinky dinks
- freezer paper
- candy
- Kool Aid
I'm sure this list was longer last night when I was thinking about it. Anyway, send in your suggestions for stuff I should make my dad buy.

ATCs

One of my friends was going to start playing with ATCs and after getting some goodies at That's Not Garbage the other day, I thought I might as well have a bit of a play.

They were quite fun, and pretty quick to do, although I can see how you could spend a lot of time on them. Seeing all the ones on craftster I didn't quite realise how small they were when you're trying to put stuff on them, but I think that's a good thing because it focused me a bit.



The one on the left is called 'Disco Amoeba' and was just one of those pictures where you draw randomly and then colour in the different areas (other people did them at school didn't they?) and the other one is called 'Woven Tree' (I was out of ideas for names) and is two different patterned papers woven together, with a tree and bird drawn on top. It's actually done in gold ink which is more gold in real life, although the design is still quite subtle.

I think these are quite good for little projects to inspire creativity, because you can spend as much or as little time on them as you want and you come out with something finished that can be anything you like.

February Crochet Squares

Well here are my February squares for the craftster crochet-a-long. It's fun sticking them all together in different patterns and seeing what they look like together.

Naughty me

Ok, so I shouldn't be buying stuff at the moment, because I've got to drag it all the way back to Melbourne in a couple of weeks. But anyway...one of my friends heard about a reuse centre called 'That's Not Garbage' and so we went to have a look.

They had tons of inspiring stuff but I just got a fairly small bag which set me back about $2.50 and is an amount of stuff that I can justify taking home.

Look what I borrowed from work

Alright, so actually I got asked to look after it overnight, and unlike the normal overnight things where I go into work to check stuff, I'm just putting this little puppy in a crate once I go to bed next to me (so hopefully I'll get some sleep - if it doesn't whine too much!), but until then I'm giving it lots of pats and cuddles.

It's an eight week old puppy and it's only 1 1/2 kilos, how tiny is that!

Beaded Bookstrings

It's funny how life gets interrupted sometimes. I meant to post this yesterday, but I spent most of the day doing nothing and trying to sleep because I had to check a dog every two hours over Friday night. I did however, manage to fall out of my bed at about 2pm Saturday, which I think is a bit of an achievement. I wasn't even actually asleep at the time, I think I was reaching over for a book or something. But today, with a little more sleep under my belt (it's good stuff) I managed to get motivated enough to get my camera out, and I even went outside in an attempt to get some sunlight in the photos. Unfortunately the background is a bit dodgy, I might have to try somewhere else next time, or I'll just keep taking poorly lit indoor photos.

In my ongoing quest to make little going away presents for everyone at work before I leave (only three weeks to go, but I've only got 3 to go...just need some ideas as they're new people who I don't know that well!) I made some beaded bookstrings.

They were very easy to make, and I think they look very pretty. To make them take some beads that look attractive together, something to string them on and some crimps. String a crimp, a seed bead (if the other beads have holes that are too big) the beads that you want on that end, and another seed bead. Then skip the end seed bead and restring the other beads and the crimp. Crimp the crimp, cut the short end of your stringing material and you've done one end. Then measure up your stringing material to the desired length, and add enough to pass through the beads again plus a little extra and repeat the stringing procedure.

A tree trunk

Alright, so I can actually access the internet from my own computer now, so you'll get an increase in the number of posts...although I haven't made all that much lately, my excuses are busy, tired and I don't want to buy more supplies before I move home (in about three weeks now), but I do have a few things that are in the works.

I was walking around this park the other day (it's really lovely, all enclosed and secret, but very neat and with lovely curving paths), and there was this gorgeous tree trunk tucked away in a little corner. For once I had my camera with me, so I snapped some photos and then had a bit of fun playing with the colour and sharpness on a couple of them, because I just loved the texture of this tree trunk.