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

A creative start

I don't often get onto the pc these days - [which is something I must rectify] - as I tend to catch up with all texts/emails/tweets etc. via my phone....lazy but handy

So whilst I'm sat here with a cup of tea, I thought I'd do a quick post...well, it'd be rude not to

We've been having a creative January here at home - whilst I've been adding embroidery detail to some fabric paintings, George has been busy working on his first Munny (courtesy of Santa & Fred Aldous)

I've been delighted to see how he has tackled it - taking time to work on a few designs, choosing options from each and then carefully building up the background layers on the Munny itself. I truly hope he doesn't lose interest and keeps at it - he'll be so proud of himself if he does and it'll be a real treasure to keep and use as a benchmark as his creativity grows.

I painted a few mini tote bags a few months back (using designs from my canvases)  but then had a dilemma...the quality of the bags in no way matched the effort I'd put in with the painting = an unsaleable item. Argh!

Then I had an epiphany at the beginning of the week and started to love them up with some embroidery and I plan to do a few other stitchery wonders to them and create framed pictures.
I'm going to take my time though and try and get them just right.

Meanwhile, whilst Mr Munny was drying, Georgie Boy set off in a totally new direction and started creating some cracking little collages! I love, love, love this monkey and his pal!
I told him all about Lu's success with her collages in the past, so now he has a new found respect for all things collage...as well as for Lu and her wonderful creations!


I hope you're January has been fun and creative!

Stationery!

I love stationery, always have. My usual quick 'cheer me up' fix always used to be a new pen (I have hundreds!) or a new notebook. Mmmm notebooks. I know I'm not the only one out there with a crush on all things paper, pen and pencil - otherwise Paperchase, WH Smith's etc wouldn't be making quite so much money out of funky designed ring binders and the like ;)

Imagine my delight when I happened upon Moleskine's eminently paintable Cahier notebooks! Oh the joy!

So I set too, with some of my current designs (you will have seen a few of these in my canvas shops if you've ever perused my wares), acrylic paints, paintbrush and cheer in my heart!

I've only done a few so far, just to test the waters, as well as the notebooks themselves. But I am very happy with them. This is just the kind of thing that would lift my spirits in the manner that only deliciously designed stationery can - pretty & functional...heaven!

I have listed the pussy cats and the pretty princess in my Folksy Ditsy Bird shop, but I'm afraid that the Tea-party notebook is destined for someone very special ♥


Happy Friday folks!
x


Update...
Well, slap me silly - I totally forgot my darling little Kokeshi doll...shame on me :(


Here she is in all her notebook-y glory...

There now, all is right with the world, once more!
Right, cuppa, fire, sofa and beading I will go...
x

Recent commissions and gifts...

I love getting commissions or having a special gift to make for someone!
Here are a couple of my recent customs.


Little Monkeys:
I had a lovely order from Etsy for two of my Monkey canvases - for a brother and sister and their newly decorated bathroom. It makes such a refreshing change when a customer changes the colours, however slightly, and adds little details - names and a bow in this case.

Beaded lovelies:
Next up was my hair-clip-loving friend's 'special' birthday and a chance for me to make something suitably glam and also something a bit kitsch - cue beaded cherries and art deco inspired designs.

(I love this picture!)

Happy birthday little man!:

Last but not least was the very first birthday of George's littlest brother, and off we go with a do over of an old design.

It's good to have a break from the norm!

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

Sir!

I was asked to do this wonderful commision by a Twitter friend - she wanted to give it to her teacher husband as a 'happy new job' gift at the start of the new school year.

Part way through I did wonder whether it was going to work and then, as I added the little details (it's always the little details that make a design) it suddenly happened.

I'm so pleased with it and delighted that Alison asked me to do it - it was such a lot of fun!

My plan now is to tweak the design (ever so slightly) and to change the black paint for actual chalkboard paint - this will require some experimenting first tho'. The plan is that it can be customised to resemble the teacher in mind, and a stick of chalk will be sent for the child to write his or her own message 'on the board'. It's a bit different from the usual 'thank you teacher' gifts...what do you think? I'd love to know.

Paints

I am really enjoying using this new (to me & relatively new in the
shops) range of Eco-friendly acrylic paints.
They are lovely to paint with, have practically zero odour &, best of
all, have great Green credentials!
Eco-friendly Acrylic Paint by Eco green crafts...www.ecogreencrafts.com.
Cheerio for now
X