A Wee Sausage Dog Keyring

For my post for Sarah Hurley, I thought I'd have a change from my paper craft and try a bit of sewing!  I made a keyring using Sarah's Sausage Dog pattern and some scrap denim and material..... more details over on Sarah's blog.

Dream Valley - Anything But A Card

Good morning! I hope you're having a great week, so far.

 

It's time for a new challenge at Dream Valley and we have the theme "Anything But A Card". I LOVE challenges like this as it gives me a push to try those crafty projects I've been wanting to try..... Or have started but need to finish! (Pinterest has a lot to answer for, I tell you!!)

 

I decided to finish my denim picture. I had made a few denim flowers with circles and bead centres - very therapeutic doing the beads;0) and sewn the background of two scrap strips of denim. I decided to use some scrap chain as the stem and make a couple of leaves, adding more beads for detail. Then it was stretched and stapled onto the canvas. It will be placed in my craft room........unless my daughter steals it as she has a denim 'thing'!

 

So, have a think what you can make that isn't a card. Or browse Pinterest for inspiration: just don't get lost!! And I'll look forward to seeing your creations at Dream Valley.

 

And did you know that we are having a DT call? Details are here. Good luck. x

 

Dream Valley- No Designer Paper

Hello, peeps! Hope you're all fine and dandy on this wet and miserable Sunday.

Over at Dream Valley this fortnight, our challenge is No Designer Paper. At first, I made the card for my best friend's birthday. I stamped the circle background using the Inkylicious Tiny Text and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink - I adore this colour! I then stamped the Inkylicious Make a Wish in black over the text and added Silver and Stardust Stickles. The white fishtail background has been embossed and matted onto silver card. There's a little bit of twine been added and the sentiment is from Clearly Besotted. I followed the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

I then had a bit of fun sewing. Haven't had time to just sew and create and test for a while but I loved doing these. The smaller one is perfect size for an iPod (although just a touch too small for an iPhone, so I'll be making the next one slightly larger) and the larger one is big enough for my phone, cards, change, lipgloss and a few other items - it'll be great for the gym so that those items don't get lost in the depths of my bag! I've added an inner pocket to each and a keyring clasp - useful for clipping to a large bag or onto a zip, or whatever. I'm going to enjoy making a few of these in some of the fabrics I have. Just need more bias binding and zips. Oh, and I decided to add a bow to the smaller one, so it now looks like this:

 

So, what will you create for Dream Valley this challenge?

 

Folded Flower Embellishment - Dream Valley DT

Well folks, it's time for another challenge at Dream Valley and this time, we want you to show us your Fancy Folds! Now, in the past, I have made a lovely little 3d handbag, but wanted to stretch myself and try something different. I tried a spinner card but couldn't work out how the recipient would display it......I wanted to sew a fabric wallet, but time was way too short.....I've seen a fab upright z fold card and a tent fold card that I'd like to try......but then I saw this folded flower and knew that I had time to make it AND I will be able to use it on one of the bags I will make.

So, I have used red felt, white material (an old school blouse), button, twine and my hot glue gun. I plan to decorate a bag with it.

What will you make for our Fancy Folds challenge? I can't wait to see.

Susie x

 

Embellished Bag

Well folks, it is the start of our summer holidays and the beautiful sunny weather has changed to rain.....but it'll change back soon, won't it?! And it is also time for another challenge at Dream Valley. This fortnight, we would like you to Make your Own Flowers or Embellishments. Aha......a perfect excuse for die cutting some flowers and using up some beads and sequins!
In addition to my obsession with card making, I have developed an obsession with sewing, especially upcycling garments that are no longer fitting and/or used. Ahem, I am hoarding clothing and fabric in case it becomes useful and this bag started life as a pair of trousers and one of hubby's old shirts. The handles are from old gift bags too. I am proud that I have even succeeded in sewing French seams, so that the raw edges are completely hidden. I decided not to line this bag as it was already quite thick and felt perfectly useful as it is.

Then the jewellery and bead obsession kicked in! The flowers were cut using the Sizzix Wedding Flower die. The hearts were from a bargain buy from some high street shop and I added beads to eye pins and then to the hearts. And there was a bit of stitching that I wasn't happy with as my bobbin had run out part way along the top of the bag and I had to re-do it.......so I hid the untidy bits with some more beads, eyepins and sequins.......mmmm, maybe didn't need to share that imperfection with you!

So, what flowers or embellishments will you make for our challenge? I'm looking forward to seeing.

Happy crafting!

Susie x

No Squares Allowed - Jeans to a Skirt

I LOVE making cards using my square card blanks, but it's brilliant to get a push to make something a little different, isn't it? And the Dream Valley No Squares Allowed challenge is a perfect opportunity for this. (Now, technically, I HAVE used squares, but the overall shape is NOT a square.). Oh, and we are lucky enough to be sponsored by Crafty Ribbons for this challenge!

I have been lucky enough to have my mam's sewing machine for the last few years and, on and off, I've actually used it! I love the idea of being able to turn something that no longer fits, into something useful..........A favourite item was the cushion cover I made for Louise last year from scraps of denim.

Also, in the last few months, I've started looking at Pinterest and The Great British Sewing Bee has been a favourite programme with myself, Lou and Euan.............so, with all this in mind, I was inspired to make a pair of too short jeans into a denim skirt for Lou. I've wanted to get her a denim skirt for a few years, but they are always WAY to short if they fit at the waist!

I cut off the legs of the jeans, just below the fabulous embellished pockets (maybe a little TOO close, when I see that picture).

I had originally planned to make a ra-ra type skirt like the one i'd seen on Pinterest, but decided that it would be too bulky for Lou. So, I cut up the legs of the jeans into 12cm squares and sewed them into a strip of 7, alternating the "grain" of the fabric horizontally and vertically - I just like the effect it gives! The seams were ironed flat (although maybe I should have overlocked them?) and then pinned the strip to the bottom of the jeans "waist".

After trying it on her and deciding that, actually it was looking ok, I sewed the ends of the strip together before sewing the strip to the waist.

Then I sewed more squares into a long strip and did the same thing. After checking the length was ok, I finished the skirt with this gorgeous checked bias binding from The Ribbon Girl. I will definitely be buying more of this and some in the other designs too as it is easy to add and adds a lovely detail to the garment (hey, get me!!!!!). Our sponsor, Crafty Ribbons, also has a lovely selection of bias binding, including a black and white gingham one here.

I had an absolute ball making this for my daughter and enjoyed it all the more because she really loves it and wants me to make more clothes for her! I have already made a school skirt for her in the same design using school trousers that no longer fit and have a plan to make another school skirt in a similar, but different design. Lou has also suggested Upcycling her trousers into a school cardi, but I'm not sure I'm capable of that yet!

Apologies for the lengthy post (very unlike me!) but I wanted to have a go at explaining how I made it as I'm guessing i'm not the only one with a long legged daughter who keeps growing! Although it would have been much clearer with photos!! (I considered taking photos, but decided that, as it was a first attempt, and I was making it up as I go along, it probably wouldn't work, so took no photos along the way and regretted it!)

My smiley, happy girl in her perfectly fitting denim skirt:

Oh, and I made the tag using the fabulous Just for You stamps from Clearly Besotted - Lou loved this detail too!

I would also like to enter the Crafty Ribbons challenge, Anything Goes and CRAFT challenge - Use Stitching.

 

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