A Weekend Of Crafting

I was so pleased to find myself with a lazy Saturday this weekend that I couldn't wait to get stuck into crafting with the new patterned gift wrap I'd found in my local White Stuff store earlier in the week. White Stuff is one of my favourite everyday clothing brands, I always appreciate their laid back, approachable styling, and of course all their jolly prints! These wrapping papers use some patterns from their spring collection, and are on a variety of papers which is a nice touch. I bought a very cheerful caravan pattern, birds and watering cans, sheep and vegetables - what a selection! I wanted to use them for crafting rather than wrapping, so I grabbed my bottle of Mod Podge that has been sat unused in a drawer over the winter and got stuck in! 

 Firstly I covered a White Stuff shoe box with the caravan print paper to be used as a 'Holiday Memories' keepsake box, I adore how each of the caravans has a different pattern, great detail! My rather worn VW Camper is also a recent find, it will have to do until I can afford the real deal! I used the video below to get me started as I was unsure how much Mod Podge to use on the paper, the tip about letting the first layer dry slightly before applying your paper is the trick! I did one undercoat and two overcoats and it now feels very sturdy, now I just need to organise my photos!

The next project were two 1970s teak trays that I'd found in a charity shop for a couple of pounds and have been using for my laptop mostly. I was originally going to paint them, I'm now so glad I put off that plan as they look much better now. The aqua in this pattern is my favourite colour of the moment...reflected in my new sketchbook! The second tray was crying out for the jolly springtime sheep, that is my main laptop tray so I'll be enjoying using that on a daily basis! I highly recommend dabbling in some decoupage, these papers aren't on the White Stuff website so pay a visit to a store.

It was so satisfying sat at my desk, listening to Radio 4 and the constant chatter of the birds - pure happy springtime! I couldn't resist including this snap of Mollie enjoying some sneaky sunbathing, I never realised how well she matched the sheepskin rug, great camouflage!  Hope it was a great weekend for you too, thanks for reading!

Willow Weaving Classes

Hello hello! I have just retreated inside after one of the most beautiful sunny March days you could possibly ask for. The bees were buzzing, the butterflies were bobbing, all was happy in the garden. I have waited with baited breath for spring, I never enjoy the grey days of January and February, hence why I signed up for Willow Weaving classes at the Farnham Maltings, a six week course concentrating on basket making, which I didn't try at my last set of workshops. As you can see by the picture above, I managed two classic baskets, one tray and a cheeky wreath that was made from my baskets cut offs - thrify!

The classes were run by my favourite willow weaver Judith Needham who's beautiful playhouses and dens are joyful works of art much in demand in our local area. I always smile when driving past an allotment or garden and spot the distinctive silhouettes in the distance, I love them! She also runs a Folksy shop, but do take a look at her main website for amazing dens and seats for grown ups too! Here are a few in all their glory:

I wanted to use an array of willow this time, and learnt that I prefer green for most structural work, as it seemed less likely to make you cringe with a sad snapping noise when finishing the piece. I later figured out I could successfully soak my un-finished work in our spare un-used wheelie bin to stay flexiable until next class, which was a good result! It took until lesson three for me to really get into my stride, luckily Judith had compiled some very comprehensive guides for us to take home, so we weren't left to our own confusing devices! She is a wonderfully patient and inspiring teacher, trust me, three hours go in a flash, I think we stayed late every week - whoops! 

Once I got into the flow and really felt the pattern, I could finally start to understand how the willow knits itself together. In fact, I bet if you can knit you would take to this much quicker than I did, but luckily I improved greatly and was very pleased with my results! I went to the classes with my friend Ani who is a textile artist with amazing weaving skills - needless to say her baskets were showstoppers! We have vowed to order some willow and keep practicing, I want to make some garden structures next.

Judith runs workshops all year round, so if you are in the Surrey/Hampshire area do look her up and get booking! It's a very satisfying craft, quite meditative, and certainly addictive! And you get lots of handy practical baskets and trays out of it, I can't wait to get my tray turned into an easter display on the fireplace. I have put them in the shepherds hut to dry out for a while, the smell of damp willow although not unpleasant, isn't desired in the front room after the spring cleaning!

Here I am on my very first lesson putting together a base for my basket - look at that concentration!

 Hope you've had a wonderful weekend! Sorry for being a lazy blogger so far in 2014, I am feeling energised now I promise!

Katie

How Lovely Is The Silence Of Growing Things - Vintage Garden Art

I just arrived home from work to find a little present waiting in the letterbox for me (and from me!) all the way from America. I originally saw Vintage Garden Art's pieces on Pinterest when Woolly Green pinned this exact item, and I knew I had to have one! Julie creates these plant markers from vintage silver plate cutlery, a concept that has been growing in popularity BUT I think her creations are particularly special, as she adds little details such as the little flower and leaf amongst the text. My chosen quote 'How Lovely Is The Silence Of Growing Things' can be found here, I knew it would look super in my little geranium pot. It arrived very quickly indeed, and beautifully packaged, as you can see above!

Visit her shop here, they would make lovely christmas present with some homegrown herbs! Here is mine in it's chosen spot, the texture of the spoon is particularly nice, it's been hammered flat and has a dimpled look to the metal. Julie also included a little freebie of a 'Peace' marker from a small handle, very kind indeed! If you haven't yet shopped on Etsy, i can only say, get there NOW you won't regret it!

Hope it's a good weekend for you!

Katie

My First Attempt At Stained Glass

So here it is, my finished stained glass panel!

One of my New Years Resolutions was to learn a new craft, so I was really excited to see my local art venue The West End Centre was running a 10 week stained glass workshop through the grey drab winter months! Maggie Beal runs the glass course, and was a great help and inspiration throughout. I really liked Maggie's personal work, and she encouraged us to experiment with painting on the glass, which I was particularly eager to try! I had no idea what to expect from the classes, but I believe they greatly improved my attention to detail and importantly, patience! Crafting is still a hot topic, but it was nice to try something which really put me out of my comfort zone - ie: basic maths, breakables and scalding hot welding equipment - all went well thank goodness!

Stained glass is a very traditional and (in my case) slow process, but I hope you'll agree, the final effect is lovely, as soon as the sun hits the panel, it glows, and you can see all different shades and textures in the glass. I chose a garden design (mostly because I was yearning for spring to arrive!) so we have a proud old tree watching over the greenhouse, with bean frames and veg patch in the middle, and a chirpy blackbird welcoming the sunshine!

I also used a variety of different techniques with the paint (luckily escaping any nasty inhalation complications too, turns out mine wasn't lead-free, whoops!) As well as walking away with the panel, it was also the first time I've used a sketchbook since graduating, an excellent step in the right direction! I am aiming to attend further day courses at The West End Centre to improve my technique so I might one day create some on my own, watch this space!

I highly recommend giving a new craft a try this year!