Claire December 9th, 2013

I’ve been beavering away in the background taking pictures of pretty things to stock my little shop up with, but that seems to be taking forever, cropping and re-sizing pictures, amending the colours on some, which quite frankly bores me (wish it didn’t, I would have had lots more blog posts then!) so in the meantime, and spurred on by a post I saw on Sew Mama Sew, I thought I would host a little give away for you and take part in Giveaway Day 2013!

I’m giving away a small sewing basket, pin cushion and needle case pictured above (as well as some other pretty things I will put in as an extra surprise for the winner).

• The basket is a vintage one I up-cycled and has a padded lid, perfect for poking pins into, and contains a tape measure, needles, pins and a pair of scissors.  It’s made from tiny gingham and has a vintage pink crochet doily appliqued to the top, closing with a duffel coat toggle.
• The pin cushion is a pretty berry printed poplin, topped with felt leaves and a crochet Irish rose.
• The needle case is a felt strawberry, hand beaded on both sides and has 2 wool felt leaves for you to store all your needles safely.

All of these have been handmade by me, and I hope will bring many hours of sewing pleasure to the winner.   I always think that no matter how experienced a crafter you are, you deserve to have nice tools to use when working.

Want to enter?  All you have to do is comment on this post and tell me your favourite crafting tip – can be sewing, knitting, crochet – whatever floats your boat really.  The winner will be picked by having the most useful tip for people to use.  I’ll do a round up of all the tips so we can all benefit from them too.

Stuff to note:

I will ship internationally, so this give away is open to everyone, wherever you are.

The giveaway is open until 5pm PST on 13th December (if you’re in the UK that means 1am on 14th!) after which a winner will be picked, and the announcement will be made on the blog, with the winner being emailed by Sunday 15th.

Thank you for taking part, and I look forward to hearing all your tips! xoxo

P.S. Have a look at some of the other amazing giveaways posted on Sew Mama Sew too!

• crafts , sewing and crafting , stuff I made , swaps and giveaways
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Claire May 8th, 2008

Sorry for the bloggy break guys – wasn’t intentional at all and some of you may have noticed I was lurking around commenting. I have had a sinus infection for a week, thankfully starting to clear up now (just to move into a bout of hay fever….) and felt so lousy all I could do was repetitive tasks I didn’t need to think about and respond, which is why commenting was great – I didn’t need to think of something original of my own! I have been spending every waking minute it seems in like forever getting things ready for the craft fairs I am going to – first one is 16th and 17th May in West Bridgford, Nottingham (if anyone is in that neck of the woods, please pop in and say “Hi”) as and when my brain will let me do anything. Which hasn’t been often – I intend to take some nice pics of the bits I have finished this weekend. I never seem to take nice pics really, shameful when I look back at them. I used to have better results with a standard (non digital) camera for some reason. But I will get better – oh yes!
Anyway, I thought I would show you some pictures of the swaps I took part in. The lunch bag I have already blogged about, and this is what I sent Laura, my swap partner. She said that she liked moss green and rust colours together, and a had this lovely vintage pillowcase to use, and bought some (kinda moss-y) green apple printed oilcloth to use as the outer. I also made a matching place mat and included a vintage napkin and some chocolate for her. Hope that she likes it. I made it to fit a box in the bottom, as I frequently take leftovers in, or a salad for lunch. For some reason Blogger changes the format of the picture so it won’t go the right way round… Aaargh!
My second, vintage swap partner was Amy. She’s got a lovely blog - go and have a visit (which reminds me , I really need to update my sidebars…) and was soooo easy to find things to swap with her. Too many things in fact and I had to pare my ideas down into something reasonable! Amy sent me a lovely shoulder bag and matching purse (which if you read this I have had loads of compliments on and am using for work today), tons of vintage fabrics all tied up with lace and trim and packets of buttons tied with trim. As you can see from the pictures I have some serious booty there and have folded them all up (I have, honestly!) so I can mull over what I am going to make with them. I made Amy (this is me, going “off on one” now) an apron with a vintage design of a poodle (Amy decorates cakes, so I thought about baking, tea and cakes, that sort of thing) although this isn’t the most practical apron ever, although I am very pleased with how it turned out. I also made a teacup pincushion for her out of some vintage china (like me, Amy doesn’t drink tea) and some vintage napkins for when she eats cake. I am really pleased with how they turned out, and my first swaps were great. The only downside to the whole experience is wasting hours, or what feels like hours in the post office in town for rude staff to mess you around. To stop me going off on a rant, here’s a picture I took yesterday in Hyde park - I escaped there after my meeting – it was so nice and warm, we have been really lucky with the weather we have had, so I treated myself to a small ice cream and enjoyed the sun for half an hour before fighting my way back on the tube to St Pancras to catch my train back(which for me means being able to sit for a couple of hours and embroider…. Not bad eh?) xx

• pinky and boo , swaps and giveaways , work
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Claire April 16th, 2008

I went to collect this from the post office on my way in to work this morning and was so pleased with what I had been made by Stephanie. I now am the proud owner of a lovely blue and green (vintage I think) lunchbox. Stephanie has also made me a matching placemat (I know when I whip that one out at work I will be mocked, but then I already am by bringing my lunch every day – may as well do it in style!). Stephanie also added a lovely box of sweets , a china thimble and some info on the area she lives in, which I thought was such a lovely touch. It’s so nice to see other people’s handiwork and I can’t wait to use it tomorrow.
Still no joy on the Etsy shop – in all honesty I have been running round like a headless chicken trying to embroider things and ended up making an outfit for my friends’ wedding last saturday at 4pm Friday (why do I let myself do this?!?) and I have booked some time off work to sit and make things up. The theory is that I will get up when David gets up and instead of getting ready for work, sit and sew. In reality I am that tired I will probably sleep in for an hour and then spend all day trying to catch up with myself and kicking myself at the same time for not doing what I had promised to do…..
Better go and get some paid work done! xoxo

• etsy , swaps and giveaways
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Claire April 2nd, 2008

And the winner is (drum roll please…) Shabby Chic (sorry, I don’t know your real name, only your blogging one) -please drop me an email and I will send you some lovely bits and bobs. I enjoyed this one, and it was so nice getting the warm fuzzy feelings I always think of when I remember my childhood, so thank you all so much for sharing them with us. I have decided that giveaways are great and, since I do need to clear my stuff out, I may have a craft supplies giveaway next, maybe for my 100th post, although my rate of blogging, won’t be any time soon!

I did try posting over the weekend in between trying to get loads of other bits and bobs done, but had to save the draft as I was so frustrated at the upload speed for photos that I gave it up as a bad job. Including trying to update the etsy shop. Here are a couple of pictures of the new things that I will be adding once the images have been re-sized (boring job and I hate it – does anyone have any tips on doing that quickly and painlessly? I use Photoshop to save and resize the image although I am sure there must be something easier – al help is appreciated!
I have been really busy making things recently – it was Faye’s daughters’ birthday yesterday – she’s an April 1st baby the same as I am, and her granny, my best friend Rachel’s mum wanted me to make a blanket for her, so I made this one backed in vintage flanelette and I put on some vintage baby buttons and applique’s that Edie gave me ages ago and I had saved for something pretty. I made her a felt bunny with vintage fabric applique (one of the old 50′s dresses I wore at Uni) filled with lavender for nap times.
It’s been really wierd crafting recently – it seems to be all I have done in my spare time (well judging on the state of the house, housekeeping hasn’t been high on the agenda….!) as I am really paranoid that I will turn up at the craft fairs I have booked with nothing to show. Since most of the things I make take ages as they are hand embroidered or crocheted, I can’t just churn things out production line style. Anyway, I am going to make a small number of everything I make, like these Matroshka needle books, and keep half for Etsy and the other half for the craft fairs.I want to get loads of stuff made too so that I can ease off making stuff to sell with making stuff for the wedding. I am also making a dress to wear for my friend Vicky’s wedding, and embroidering a shawl she will wear using the Weldon’s spring flowers I psted ages ago. As well as working on my swap stuff…. Aargh! Craft overload! Need to slow down and blog more – it makes me sit back and appreciate what I am doing , as well as generate new ideas for other things to make. If uploading pics wasn’t such a royal pain in the behind I would do it more often….
Anyway, I shall get back to work now – to be back again soon x

• etsy , pinky and boo , swaps and giveaways
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Claire March 27th, 2008

Apologies for the distinct lack of blogging this week (and I was doing so well recently!) but life has been somewhat hectic recently. I have managed to fit in quite a bit of crafting though, but no time to take pics (apart from this one of some knitted cakes I have been making for the craft fairs I am going to have a stand at), so this is really jut to let you all know out there that I am having a birthday givaway. I need to spice my birthday up a bit this year as I have to go to a 6 hour regional management meeting (6 hours of discussing service development plans – I must have been really bad in a past life, or is that a slight exaggeration?!?) so it’s my way of making things better.
So, lovely bloggers out there, I will enter everyone’s name who leaves a comment on this post (or any subsequent posts I may manage between now and next week) into a hat and draw someone out at random.
But instead of leaving a random comment, highly appreciated as they are, I would like your comment to be about your favourite (or if you have many, one of your favourite) childhood memories – I have blogged a fair bit about what I remember from being a child, so this is your turn now. Don’t be shy – share the love! In return, the winning person will get a parcel of Pinky and Boo goodies sent to them. Haven’t decided what will go in yet but I am thinking a vintage apron, a pin cushion, maybe some other bits and bobs that I will gather up.
So come on, leave a comment if you want to be in the running for some freebies! I will draw names out on Tuesday evening (after I have got in from the meeting) xoxo

• pinky and boo , swaps and giveaways
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Claire March 19th, 2008

I, for some reason known only probably in the deepest recesses of my mind, thought that I would join in with 2 swaps that fellow bloggers have started. As if I don’t have enough to do – planning and making things for my wedding, making stuff to sell to help pay for said wedding, work full time, try and have a life and do more than just grunt at people as they go past me leading a life (I think it’s called that – I wouldn’t know…). But the swaps sounded so cool I couldn’t resist. I also keep telling myself that it won’t take too long…

The first is a Vintage inspired swap organised by Meridian Ariel- to create something from materials cost no more than £5 (my kind of price ..) that is inspired by vintage, Hollywood, glamour, that sort of thing. I have a few ideas, and since the lovely partner I have has a blog, it’s easy for me to go having a look at what she’s into and confirm ideas in my head of what I can make for her. Big brother is alive and well, and on Blogger today….

The second is a lunchbox swap moderated by Elizabeth from oh, fransson! I used to get laughed at all the time (still do) cos I always have fruit in my bag, and I more often than not, take my lunch to work, so a lunchbag is great for me. The idea is to make something for your partner in the colours they would like. My partner likes rust and green, or blue and green together, which is fine as I have lots of vintage fabrics in those colours, so if they don’t look truly awful together I think I will try and use all of them in some way. This is a bit easier as the subject is given, but have a look at some of the lovely ones Elizabeth has made. I think they are so pretty.
Anyway, I have more than enough to be getting on with – I want to use Easter to finish off some bits and bobs and list them on Etsy, so I will keep you posted about their progress anyway. In the meantime here are a couple of patterns for you to enjoy. Speaking of patterns, I am in love with my new Sulky transfer pens. I will never go back to using a pencil again – they are great! They can be hard to get hold of in the UK unless you have a quilting shop nearby. And they are expensive, Studio Husqvarna in Nottingham sells them for £5 each….It’s just like using a pelt tip pen though, and the impressions you get form them are so much better than with a pencil. It’s worth for the people in the UK giving the distributors in the UK a call – but I warn you, unless you are trade, they can be really rude to you!

Have fun x

• embroidery patterns , swaps and giveaways
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