On the Road to Christmas

The world is full of baaaaaaaaa-humbugs but I love Christmas and I make no apology for it!  It's the time of year when making feels extra special. 
I confess that a lot of thinking, sighing and rolling around in frustration was done when I was looking at my fabrics.  What to make?  Something functional is always good.  I played around, did a few experiments - the bird motif is very 'now' in arts and crafts and has been for a while, possibly a tad overdone, but popular nonetheless - and decided to go for a place mat and serviette set. 

Unfortunately, as I didn't already have the right fabric to go with my patchwork bird boxes and long legged birds, both made out of scraps, I ended up purchasing the dotty fabric from an upholstery shop.  I was looking for something fun and contemporary, not run-of-the-mill boring.  Each place mat is backed with either red or blue gingham and could be reversible.

Because I like variety, I also decided to try and make a tray cloth, again using a bird motif but this time a goose... or a duck... or a goose.  Happy to report that all materials used for this were scraps (if you've been paying attention over the weeks, you may recognise the stripey fabric...)

Now that I've made some samples I can start making Christmas presents!

Measure Twice, Cut Once then Cover Up!

Remember the poorly constructed frame (Make It So)?  I'm sure there are many ideas I could've had to disguise the shoddy workmanship but for some reason I decided on a pot stand.  Not much I can say, really.  Another charity shop plate smashed to pieces (still find it therapeutic!).  I still have a lot to learn about making mosaics but this is a start.  A part of me feels that this would be better off as a picture frame, but I'll see.

Zooty Labels



Old, damaged and unwanted crockery really comes into its own here.  Before painting the wooden labels, I decided to add another dimension to the sticks in the form of mini mosaics.  I could never bring myself to shatter any of our crockery for the sake of a project, but I found a few cheap saucers at a local charity shop.  I had no problem bringing a hammer down on them and knocking them to smithereens.  It's incredibly therapeutic and I'm sure could solve some of the World's problems were it to be included as an alternative to hitting one's head against a wall... 

I've only made a few of them so far but it's set to be a long and miserable Winter, so I fear I'll have plenty of time to make more.  (It probably goes without saying that it's always a good idea to wear suitable protective clothing such as goggles and gloves for making mosaics.)

Pulling the Seed Beads Together

Part 1

Having sat with a brown paper bag full of beads for nearly two years, Gerian's surprise package several weeks ago provided the inspiration I've been needing.  Sourcing the correctly gauged wire has been challenging and, in the end, I've had to use what's available.  This has meant slightly chunkier decorative swirls but I'm not too upset because it has its own special feel.   

Dear Artist-who-made-the-original,
You'll probably never read this, and we'll never meet, but your work is an inspiration.  I know my version leaves a lot to be desired.  Please don't sue me.

Part 2
I've been thinking of how to make use of the three ornate hearts.  I wanted to incorporate the seed beads, somehow.  In the end, I decided to keep it simple and go with a heart-in-heart. I still have two more to make before the set is complete but I couldn't resist including a picture now.

These could hang around the house all year long, be used as Christmas decorations or even go out to the one you love on Valentine's Day... 

Don't forget to keep an eye on my Make It So page... you'll be lost without it!



Creative Explosion

Good news!  I've been experiencing a prolonged period of creative brainstorming which has meant a whole lot of making.  (My blog has, as a result, been a little neglected but as it's all about being creative... who am I to complain – it'll all even out in the end!)

Yip, I've had several projects on the go, some of them spur-of-the-moment, others are ones I've been mulling over for a while.  They fall into three categories: 1) Completed 2) Still on the go and 3)... still thinking them through (this can really hurt the brain!!).  I'm still updating my Make It So page but just to prove that I've not been lying around watching clouds float across the big blue sky...

A couple of years ago I selvaged an old slate roof tile from a local antique shop (and that's not a euphemism for "I was walking past a shop, saw an attractive tile on the roof and decided to help myself to it when no-one was looking" – it really had been left on the garbage pile).  Anyway, said tile has been in the shed ever since.  The other day I decided to do a bit of herb garden relocation work and in the process, conjured up a new home for the tile.  Okay, it's a bit cheesy and the writing washes off every time it rains (it's chalk) but it's just a bit of fun.  That, and the romantic in me likes to think that perhaps one day and without any prompting or hinting on my part, the-one-I-love will leave me a spontaneous message... and not one asking me to make him a cup of tea...

It's difficult to know what to buy a couple when their first child has just 'ventured' into the world.  Don't get me wrong, now that I can walk into baby shops without hyperventilating much, shopping around for baby gifts isn't that bad.  But it's also nice to be able to give something that hasn't been mass produced.  I've never really tried quilting before but I wasn't dissatisfied with my efforts here after finding inspiration in one of Cath Kidston's books.

Dear Jessica,
If this falls apart during the first wash, just remember that it was made with good intentions!

Dear Parents of Jessica,
If this falls apart during the first wash, it shouldn't damage the washing machine... much.

Love Those Buns

I chickened out and decided to go with something I've tried before:  Love Buns.  Had I given myself a little more time, I would have made the cupcakes the night before and dealt with the icing on the day of the party.  But I didn't.  Nevertheless, these are out of this world amazing!  The marshmallow icing can be layered up and swirled around like soft serve ice cream.  A word of warning - children adore these cupcakes and will not only manage to smear the icing all over their faces, hands, clothes and anyone standing in the vacinity, but it is also likely that one Love Bun will not suffice.  Introduce kids to these at your peril and do so in the great outdoors!

Overall, this is an easy recipe.  Whose is it?  Nigella Lawson's from her book Feast. 

Smacks of the Sea

These are so easy to make and, once you get going, will only take about 10 minutes.  To add something a little bit special, try mixing some pot-pouri in with the stuffing to bring that outside smell, inside.  If you'd like to make them extra special, you could personalise them with a spot of embellishing.  I've been making these for years and prefer to keep things simple, relying on fun colours and simplicity to be attractive enough.  Either way, these add a touch of life to the door and make a fitting companion for that humble doorknob.

Heaven in a Jar

The timing couldn't have been more perfect.  I was still pondering what to do with the little glass fiends when a colleague of mine proudly announced that she'd ordered a can of prepared Seville oranges, fully equipped with instructions for how to make marmalade. What a discovery!  My little ears were so happy that they nearly jumped off my head to do flick-flacks in the air. 

Too good to be true?  Absolutely not, and there's even more good news:  the 850g can of medium cut oranges only cost £1.99.  Being my first attempt (I've never made jam or preserves before), the whole process probably took about an hour.  The biggest stumbling block for me was trying to decide how long, and at what temperature, to heat the jars in the oven for.  (The next biggest was trying to understand how I could be so stupid as to pick up a baking hot jar, straight from the oven, with my bare hand...)  When all was done and dusted, I found myself doting over seven bottles of the most delicious marmalade I have ever tasted. 

I'd like to think the out-of-this-world taste is down to the way I poured the sugar into the pot, or the way I lovingly stirred the concoction... but I know that it's all down to those oranges.  The amazing cans can be purchased from Lakeland, either online or from one of their outlets.

 Marmalade.  Not everyone's cup of tea, but it's giving my jars a purpose and warding off those kitchen cupboard avalanches.  Thank you Lorna - Paddington Bear would be so proud!

(Don't forget to have a look at my Make it so page to see what the next project is.)

Cordial Quencher

There are many recipes for elderflower cordial out there and, as it turns out, it really isn't rocket science.   The basic ingredients are the same - elderflowers, lemons, sugar and water - and the trick is to pick the flowers when they've just opened so as to capture that sweet, fresh flavour of summer.  I was going to go for a no-cook-just-add-boiling water recipe until I read that elderflowers contain alkaloids (naturally occurring chemical compounds) which are slightly toxic but which are destroyed during cooking.  So boiling it was and, with an orange chucked into the mix (as suggested by a friend of mine), the aroma was fantastic.  

I don't mind a bit of instant gratification every now and then, so it almost killed me to have to leave everything standing in the pot for 48 hours before straining the contents and having a proper taste.  But it was worth it.  And then the experimenting began.  In the end I settled for elderflower cordial, lemonade and a dash of Creme de Cassis.  Very refreshing for a hot and sunny day.

(Don't forget to have a look at my Make it so page for the next challenge!)

One Blue Iron

I've spent a lot of time this week waiting for paint to dry.  Although this hasn't been a particularly labour intensive project, I do admit to a lot of huffing, puffing and perspiration where sanding was involved.  The build up of rust from sheer neglect had to be eliminated before any painting could take place.  Better to be thorough than regret it later.  Then it was easy:  a wipe down with white spirits, two coats of red primer, a few coats of enamel paint - anything bright - and a rusty old iron has been given a new lease of life!

Quite easy to come by, these irons can vary in price from £3 at car boot sales, to a staggering £12 or more from reclamation yards or antique shops.  If they've already been cleaned up (invariably with black grate polish) they can fetch upwards of £26.  They can be used for many decorative purposes, but I've already decided that mine will be living indoors, keeping a door open and adding another splash of colour to my life. 

Labour of Love

After nine hours of cutting, sticking, coiling and shaping, a paper bowl was born.  There were times when I wished I had more digits on my hands and resorted to improvising.  Thank you, David M. Smith from Springfield, Vermont, for inventing the 'spring-loaded wood clamp' (... that's a peg to you and me) in 1853!  (Source:  Wikipedia)

Nothing about the creation of this object was precise. Quite the contrary, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  Was the process repetitive?  Yes.  Were there times when I despised myself for starting out on the journey?  Many, many times, the first being about half an hour into the project.  But the handmade, rustic charm my new fruit bowl exudes was well worth the paper cuts!

Paper, Scissors, Glue...

So here I sit with my first challenge:  turning newspaper into a bowl (see my Make It So page).  I could go down the route of papier maché but I don't fancy doing that right now, particularly as it's Sunday and this bowl has to be dry and finished by Tuesday.  No, I'm looking for a non-mushy, fast drying, free standing way of doing this, and one that won't require too much work at the end to make sure it holds together for longer than a week.  I love African basket weaving so I'd quite like to make a coiled bowl... of sorts, inspired by Zulu grass baskets.  I've decided to not only work with newspaper and glue, but also with sash window cord, which should make coiling easier as well as give more shape to the final object.

To digress just ever so slightly... A couple of times a month I get together with some of the ladies in the neighbourhood for a creative evening of dinner, making and chatting.  Thursday was my turn to do the hosting.  I decided that my creative contribution would be to make Lorraine Pascale's delicious Parmesan and poppy seed lollipops.  So I did.  They were easy to make, fun and a great hit. 

Anyway, enough procrastinating.  Must dash... I have a bowl to conjure up!

Dale

Welcome!

Creativity has a lot to answer for.  Along with being incredibly stimulating and empowering, it can also be insanely frustrating.  Like sardines in a tin can, the world is packed with artists and crafters, the majority of whom are either complete unknowns or, worse yet, have raw talent that has yet to be unleashed. 

As an arts professional I regularly meet people who claim to have little or no creative prowess.  In reality, I have still to find someone where this belief holds true.  Everyone can do something.  But it’s the lack of doing, or the inability to stay focused and see a project through to completion, that can be the source of much frustration.  I speak from experience.

There are so many reasons (read: excuses) why production slows down, or just doesn’t happen:

• No time
• Too tired
• Lack of confidence
• Can’t think of anything original
• Can’t decide what to work on first so I’ll spend a few weeks thinking about it…

… and so it goes on.  (Feel free to add to the list - we all do it!)  Time is its own keeper and has a nasty habit of vapourising right under our noses.  Before we know it, that-thing-we-wanted-to-have-a-go-at is no longer über fashionable and we’re a few decades older, wondering when that family of grey hairs hopped on board for a holiday… and never went home.

In an attempt to beat my stalling into submission I’ve decided to set short, achievable projects, resulting in work that is either original or inspired by someone else, using a mixture of recycled, found and new materials. 

Why the Little Red Lorry?  Because it’s passionate, zippy and can do a whole lot of collecting, carrying and storing on its journey of creativity.  Think dynamite on wheels! 

If you need to kick start your creativity, or if you just like having a go, why not hop aboard and join in – the more the merrier.  Any feedback, photos, challenges, ideas or discussion prompts welcome.

How it works
I'll post starting points for challenges on my Make It So page.  Once the project is complete, I'll post the results on my blog.

Happy making!

Dale