A place for your cuppa - hand painted coasters

I love wandering around the homewares section of shops, to see if there is anything I can find, that would be suitable for the Ditsy treatment.

Recently, I spotted some natural cork coasters and placemats in Boyes, so took some home to play with. 

My idea worked so well, that after testing one coaster with my own cuppas over the course of a few weeks, I'm happy to say that I now have some very unique, hand painted coasters in my shop!

Here's a look at my process, and the finished items...

I painted straight onto the cork, using acrylic paint

adding the design

finished penguins and birds covered with a few coats of protective sealant

pucker up, it's nearly mistletoe time!

my test subject!

I'd love to know what you think, and if you fancy one, you can get them here and can get 20% off until midnight on Sunday 8th November, by using HOHOHO20 at checkout!

Why not have a go yourself - or maybe make some as teacher gifts with your children? The only limit is your imagination ❄︎

cheers!

Sarah

x

Recent Makes

Hello!

I thought I'd share some of my recent makes with you to inject a little colour into this grey, damp Autumnal Wednesday.

There has been some inking, painting and stitching going on in these parts...and a lot of it with a very specific seasonal theme!

My mum has been recovering from a hip replacement, and has also been feeling the effects of her illness - so October was given over to visiting her in hospital, and having her stay with us for three weeks. Not a lot of time was free for Ditsying, but we've had some fab quality time with Mum! She's now having some excellent care and rehabilitation at our local Sue Ryder hospice, so I've been lucky enough to be able to spend the past two days painting...just for the fun of it. Oh what a much needed joy that has been!!! I'm feeling much less twitchy and twisty (I needed my fix) and something I wanted to try is working out just dandy. 

Eventually, Mum will come back here again to stay, until she is fully fit to go back home, so I'm cramming as much creative time as I can, into my days...though the late nights are already taking their toll zzzzzz ;)

This is just a quick little post, before I head back into My Room and get messy again, but I hope to be back soon. In the meantime, my Christmas shop is now open on the website (click here), and to celebrate I am offering 20% off all purchases until midnight 8th Nov, with the code HOHOHO20...just enter this when checking out!

Cheerio for now,
Sarah
x

a little love filled commission

and the finished result

tiny Autumn leaf brooches

a pretty collection of hand drawn, jewel coloured rings

from sketch to reality - a gift for a friend

trying my hand at lino cutting again

cheery decorations in progress

a bit of upcycling fun

starting to take shape!

And now a selection of new Christmas products now in the shop, don't forget to use HOHOHO20 when you check out ❄︎

handmade Christmas: part 1

good morning lovely folks!

I've been busying beavering away for the past few months, stock piling handmade gifts, working on new design ideas and generally having a blast making things!

I plan to share a few of my makes with you over the next week or so, but I thought I'd kick it off with our window decorations.

I couldn't sleep in on Saturday morning (head buzzing with preparations for the family party we were hosting that evening [it was wonderful!]) so I got up and painted some of our windows! hahaha ;)

Since we got a new door, we've had nowhere to hang a Christmas wreath so I thought it would be a mighty fine idea to paint one on the window at the bottom of the path...so it would great any visitors over the Christmas season.
I'd heard about using acrylic paint so, I had a quick Google and read a tip about mixing a little washing up liquid in with the paint, to make it really easy to remove*. And off I went!

It started with a wreath and then progressed to snowflakes on the kitchen windows. I love them even though it's all a bit freehand a wibbly - next year I may draw up some templates and tape them to the outside of the window to follow.

*I can confirm that it did come off easily as I botched a bit

I hope you like them...

Oh, and the best part of it - George's face when he came downstairs to find Mummy painting the windows...priceless!

cheerio for now

x

Snowmen & Snowflakes

I've been busy with the hand stitching again - and with the odd bead or two sneaking in too...but all in the name of Christmas this time!

Snowmen for girls...

and boys...

as well as little embroidered keepsakes for the ladies...

Christmas is coming!!!
x

Today...

...I will be stuffing snowmen (!) and bestowing upon them, the gift of
sight. I am a benevolent creator ;)

Busy....

...cutting out designs to go on Christmas and birthday cards today,
whilst listening to The Sorcerer's Secret on my iPhone. Whatever you
are doing this fine Friday, I hope you're having fun!

Christmas!!!

I know we've only just rolled into October and that most people are just beginning to embrace all that is Autumn, including me! But, when doing seasonal designs and creations, time and timing are the biggest factors and, I was determined to get on top of Christmas this year having by-passed it totally last year (from a Ditsy Bird point of view, that is)

I had a few designs from 2009 that had been drawn and traced but I hadn't found the time to watercolour/scan/digitally colour them...so these were top of the To Do list.

The pear tree and snowman designs turned out perfectly and have made it to the Ditsy Bird Draws Etsy nest, a couple of others sadly didn't...but, you never know, fresh eyes and a little tweaking next year and they may make the flock!

Whilst at work one day (there is something about accounting that fires up the creative side of my brain with a fierce heat!) I came up with a couple of pages of new 'circle' designs, including Mr. Robin here - such a chirpy chap!

I hadn't planned on doing new design but hey, when the mood takes me, I've learned to embrace it and go with the flow. I really love these new designs and have a couple more, non seasonal ones still up my sleeve (or on my hard drive awaiting some colour!).

Part of the joy of putting these new cards together has been the discovery of Glaze 3D pens - I am incapable of printing designs and leaving them alone. I nearly always have to tinker with them and try and jazz them up in some way or other!

Another major factor in my delight at the way they all turned out, was the use of the most gorgeous recycled card from eco-craft ltd. It just feels so, well, good! Good quality, good colour and good (better) for the environment...win, win, win!

x

Double design bliss...

Doing new Christmas designs whilst watching Grand Designs...home eye
candy + painting = bliss!
(and I'd forgotten how enjoyable it is to paint with watercolours).
Hope you're all having a good Monday
X