30 September 2017

A Christmas tree bauble ....


I poked a knitting needle through a polystyrene sphere and painted with 2 coats of white acrylic paint, when dry I stuck on die cut snowflakes, then painted the whole thing with glue then sprinkled with glitter.  I added 5mm clear s/a gems to centre of snowflakes and random sequins.  I'd like to say no harm was done to the knitting needles and my best acrylic brushes, but the No. 8 needles are covered in dried on acrylic paint and the brushes have set like rubber :-(

When the bauble was quite dry I threaded a doll needle with hemp twine and looped through white satin ribbon, and used that to pull through the hole made by the knitting needle.  I tied a knot in the bottom, the surplus ribbon was cut off and the knot poked up the hole.  I added a decorative pin to the bottom and hot glued everything in place.

I die cut foliage in greens and browns, and glued them around the ribbon loop, adding pine cones, peach cherry blossoms and orange frosted berries.

Here are more photos showing my little sister Jackie and I making our baubles - she chose a pink and lilac theme for her bauble








thanks for looking and see you soon, next time with a card!
Mary xx


28 September 2017

Mini Box Album ...



A mini box-album based on the video tutorial by the very talented Laura Pressley Wright  - thank you Laura!


  I used papers from the 6x6 mini pack 'Merry Little Christmas' paper plus flowers, ribbons, lace, embellishments, snowflake etc from The Ribbon Girl

















thanks for looking, Mary x
see you soon!




21 September 2017

Say hello to Seymour the Seagull .............


Andrea liked my original Seagull so much (see below) she asked me to make one so it can sit on her shelf at work and remind her of her holidays!  Seymour is based on the Tilda goose pattern, I ommitted the web feet and added (bought) shoes, aren't they cute?  I adjusted his goose beak to be more seagull-like, and it was coloured with a Copic pen colour YR24


His hat is made from a child sock (I cut across just up from the heel and tied the top with some white embroidery thread.    His dungarees are made from a linen look fabric (John Lewis) and I used the reverse side of a couple of small polka dot buttons to sew onto his bib front.  His neckerchief is a piece of red 38mm faux silk ribbon
 

A close up of his legs - striped fabric from a Fat Quarter Bundle from John Lewis, the little boots were from someone on Ebay, I love them!!

This is the original Seagull I made with webbed feet

Thanks for looking, see you soon,
Mary xx

16 September 2017

Clementine the rabbit ....


Clementine the rabbit measured approx 50cms tall and is made from a pale cream coloured calico .  Her dress is made from one fat quarter of patterned cotton, trimmed with 17mm ivory cream 'Astrid' cotton vintage style lace, with a fully lined bodice and a Peach seam binding sash around her waist. 

Her eyes, nose and mouth are embroidered with 3 strands of DMC embroidery floss.  I made a flower from peach and wavecrest green seam binding and stitched it just under her ear

Her Mary Jane type shoes are made from plain off white fleece fabric, blanket stitched with top stitch thread and fastened with more peach seam binding tied in a bow and finished with a small pearl button 
The rabbit is based on the design of the popular Maileg rabbits which are widely available. 
Now I have to get on with sewing the seagull I promised I'd make my daughter - I keep getting distracted onto other projects :-) 

Thanks for looking, Mary x


Autumn pin-cushion ....




An Autumn  pin-cushion resembling a pumpkin which I'm entering into a challenge at 'Cosy Cabin Makers' facebook page.  I added a 15mm clear sparkly button and some olive green faux silk ribbon to my pincushion.

thanks for looking, Mary xx

14 September 2017

Tilly dressed for a special occasion - a Tilda cloth doll with a gorgeous hat!



Tilly is a fairly tall doll which I made from a Tilda pattern and I'm sure she wouldn't look out of place at even the poshest wedding!    Her dress is trimmed with 25mm white frilled lace, her pantaloons with 12mm white frilled lace and her coat with 16mm antique white fine cotton 'Allison' lace. Her necklace is 3mm lilac satin threaded through a flower shaped two-hole sparkly button.  I painted the shoes with fabric paint and adhered a 5mm pearl to look like little buttons.  Her eyes are tiny dots of fabric paint and her make-up included some of my blusher :-)

The hair is made from black wool, which I pinned on then stitched.  Her hat is made with a bottle top and a disc of card (thanks for the idea Wilma Heida), covered in fabric and embellished with 20mm lilac paper roses, pink open rose, lilac two tone hip rosebud and some 15mm lilac satin edge sheer ribbon.  I added feathers for even more height.


A close up of her coat - the coat was actually made from a dress pattern for another dolly, but it was too small so I split it up the front, overlocked the edges and added the lace trim to make a coat for Tilly - luckily it matches her pantallons

thank you for looking, and see you soon
Mary xx

9 September 2017

Christmas Tree Decorations .....


Tree decorations in using a mini pack of  'Time to Sparkle' 6x6 papers.  I used a pyramid tea bag wrapper as the template and cut each decoration from a single sheet of 6inch paper. 



  I used various s/a gems/pearls, gold rats tail satin, gold twine, 4mm flatback ivory pearl trim, white tiny pom pom trim, florence ivory cotton lace, gold sparkle tinsel, 15mm gold lame ribbon, a sparkly glass star, gold striped organza, gold sparkly mesh ribbon, 3mm gold lame ribbon - the paper and all the embellishments are from The Ribbon Girl

This is how I made them:

 
I drew around the pyramid tea bag wrapper directly onto the back of my 'Time to Sparkle 6inch paper and scored the lines with a biro pen on a mouse mat.  I used a craft knife to cut a slit for the closing tag.

I used a bone tool to fold the scored marks
I folded all the lines and tags to make a pyramid
I partially unfolded the pyramid, tied a knot in some rats tail satin and inserted it up the cone and out of top, then refolded the pyramid
The pyramid is now ready to decorate

Thanks for Looking, see you soon
Mary x

8 September 2017

A new doll .....


A small doll made with a new pattern -  tiny body, very thin arms, large round head and jointed legs.  It's taken me ages, a bit of sewing here a bit of sewing there in between other crafting,  and I found it very fiddly and confusing to make, but nevertheless I persevered and am quite pleased with the finished dolly which is only to look at, not to play with.  I even searched for my knitting needles and knit her a scarf!  


View from the back showing the lined jacket with hood.  The skirt is made from pink tulle lined with pale pink spotted cotton.  To give you an idea of the size of her head, the little hat is actually 0-3months baby hat from Asda!


and a view of her sitting down - I bought the shoes via Ebay

Thanks for looking, see you soon,
Mary xx

5 September 2017

ruby wedding card


I made this card for two lovely neighbours who celebrated their Ruby Wedding anniversary recently.

 I used Maja Design 'Life in the Country' 6x6 papers, 35mm burgundy roses, large ivory rosebuds, white lily, 25mm burgundy satin ribbon, burgundy starbust stamens, burgundy tiny rosebuds, 6mm ivory heart shaped pearl flatbacks, 'Victoria' 32mm fine cotton vintage style lace tpped with a pearl and diamante flower embellishment

Papers, flowers, ribbons, lace, heart pearls and flower shaped diamante embellishment are all from The Ribbon Girl store

thanks for looking, and I'll see you soon
Mary x

3 September 2017

Vintage Santa Easel Drawer Card ......


I was fortunate enough to visit the Faberge museum in St Petersburg recently, and was inspired to make this very embellished easel drawer card after seeing all the beautiful eggs and snuff boxes he and his team had made!   
I used an image from Pion 'The Night Before Christmas' images sheet with paper from the Maja Design 'Life in the Country' 6x6 pad.  All edges were inked to distress them. I added 10mm ivory flower and 6mm ivory flatback pearl trim using 3mm double sided sticky tape.


The bow is made from the new 25mm Silvery Pearl Sparkle ribbon tied with ivory hemp twine and topped with a 5-petal ivory pearl and diamante embellishment.  For the flower arrangements I used ivory/pearl beaded berries, burgundy stardust stamens, cream hip rosebuds, ivory/green speckled autumn berries and green rose leaves.
 

I used the sentiment that came with the Pion images sheet to go underneath the top sheet.  The flowers which are adhered to the top of the drawer act as a 'stop' to keep the front of the card in place
 
I added more Maja paper inside the drawer and added another of the Pion images die-cut into a circle.

I hope you will join us over on the blog for The Ribbon Girl September Card Challenge - the design team are back after their Summer break and have made some forgeous cards to inspire you!

Thanks for looking and see you soon
Mary xx