tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12427693673633901892023-11-16T15:58:17.588+00:00Craft NouveauBougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-31721003289245737442013-05-26T20:13:00.000+01:002013-05-26T20:13:22.245+01:00Up, up and away!Next weekend I'm off to a hot air balloon festival. What should every girl wear to a hot air balloon festival? Why, balloon-themed earrings of course! I had this idea for some crazy earrings floating around in my head for the past week. As the weather was cold and wet this weekend, I stayed home and got making.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fimo balloons, baskets and clouds, ready to bake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgUfyxgs1DGeh1B62zh2hyphenhyphenmyjyTSAq6bhOQlI8TrHa66QlHREEFZiWDSbu2xMAzce01-jtkJ0BbWiKpcDTZyzhIdP13BBYnBm-yjtsvKy2IIyBABgdrUTYYSG5IDAWJWfl6UPpzEqoNpf/s1600/IMG_20130526_101049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgUfyxgs1DGeh1B62zh2hyphenhyphenmyjyTSAq6bhOQlI8TrHa66QlHREEFZiWDSbu2xMAzce01-jtkJ0BbWiKpcDTZyzhIdP13BBYnBm-yjtsvKy2IIyBABgdrUTYYSG5IDAWJWfl6UPpzEqoNpf/s400/IMG_20130526_101049.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now for the tedious bit - wet sanding!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parts all smooth and ready to be varnished</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished! I used silver findings and added some beads to assemble my earrings</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my little bird earring, it looks just right :)</td></tr>
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I'm really chuffed with how these turned out. Even though they are quite big, they are very light. I feel in the mood for the hot air balloon festival already! I will tell you more about that next week on my other blog <a href="http://cernycaj.blogspot.cz/">cernycaj.blogspot.cz</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d7d4ba; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">♫ </span>Wouldn't you like to ride in my beautiful, my beautiful ballooooon?! <span style="background-color: #d7d4ba; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;">♫</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #d7d4ba; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span>Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com2Prague, Czech Republic50.0755381 14.4378004999999849.749331100000006 13.79235349999998 50.4017451 15.083247499999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-66960035389024599242013-05-08T15:41:00.000+01:002013-05-08T15:41:45.676+01:00Acrylic on canvasAfter a longish break, I wanted to share my latest painting with you. Last Wednesday was a public holiday in the Czech Republic, so I spent the day painting. It was so nice to get absorbed in something creative. I decided to paint the early morning sun over the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a view from the yacht during a holiday to Sicily last summer. Good memories captured in paint :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-way through. Getting the sea right was not so easy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished canvas :)</td></tr>
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This was my first attempt at a large acrylic painting. I think I will try another soon!<br />
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<br />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-84821313240248833702012-07-14T15:54:00.000+01:002012-07-14T15:54:55.748+01:00Parisian prettiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I enjoy making jewellery for myself, but it's even nicer to make it for other people. Here are two little bracelets that I made for my French friend using rocaille beads and charms.
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As I know she loves mushrooms, I wrapped it up accordingly :)<br />
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<br />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-75846109713419106362012-07-08T18:15:00.000+01:002012-07-16T20:49:10.975+01:00Colourful Czech bead creationsIt was a boiling hot day yesterday, but we decided to slap on some suncream and a hat and walk most of the way into town, admiring the art nouveau buildings along the way, to visit the new bead shop that just opened in Brno. <a href="http://www.koralky.cz/" target="_blank">Koralky</a> is bright and modern inside with a great selection of Czech beads hanging neatly in little bags on wall racks. I personally prefer boxes of beads that you can dip your fingers into, but still, it was a nice shop and also had a great range of beading books and magazines in Czech and English.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely beads and equipment from <a href="http://www.koralky.cz/">www.koralky.cz</a></td></tr>
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I treated myself to a bead board and went a bit '90s with a selection of matte rocaille beads. I also picked up some blue nylon and some silvery elements for some earrings.<br />
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I got up early this morning to do some crafting (just like last week, as I found it works well to avoid the heat which pours in my craft room window) and in not much time at all, had made myself a nice, colourful, ethnic-looking jewellery set.<br />
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I am particularly pleased with my earrings. They are a nice length and not at all heavy.<br />
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It's so much nicer making your own jewellery than buying mass-produced stuff from a shop, don't you think? :)<br />
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I have shared this post on <a href="http://handmadeharbour.blogspot.cz/2012/07/handmade-monday-75.html" target="_blank">Handmade Monday</a>. Why not pop over and take a look?<br />
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<br /></div>Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-17360732059421523412012-07-01T18:23:00.000+01:002012-07-01T18:23:21.849+01:00Picture this<span style="background-color: white;">I have been meaning to do some larger stamp collages to put on the wall for ages, but never got round to going to Ikea to buy the frames. Yesterday, I finally made it there and full of meatballs, trotted round and got all the things I wanted.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom. How cute is that cupcake?! It's elderflower flavour :D</td></tr>
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I woke up at 6:30 this morning with the sun streaming through my window. It was set to be another very hot day. I thought I would get in the craft room and do something before it got too sticky.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfrQBCyEvdEpcbcoS93GHj6NnTsCXPG8LDIOZVpnsyjKWSUjHvR0U-yubP2Pk0EtQ9OPm16cfi_QqXavu5VTY0bdh_0tIbXEC_0TMyT-wk9o01iYE2cZ0KjDL_uJKFVQg6ki3qsOGV5e2/s1600/IMG_20120701_081627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfrQBCyEvdEpcbcoS93GHj6NnTsCXPG8LDIOZVpnsyjKWSUjHvR0U-yubP2Pk0EtQ9OPm16cfi_QqXavu5VTY0bdh_0tIbXEC_0TMyT-wk9o01iYE2cZ0KjDL_uJKFVQg6ki3qsOGV5e2/s400/IMG_20120701_081627.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had already selected some nautical themed stamps and started laying them out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-U8W9i5mA3mOdEYNbe5wSH92QQx-oagDVd3rbJksDxjmqzCNEwzpjg1Eqc3RWrbCRI2qq1ZBr6sGzfpysRVmpbekpQYLoj26WOgbUYUGIahdPzrzrYWvsvUnK3rQdEvjSci1dwM5IRmK/s1600/IMG_20120701_101153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-U8W9i5mA3mOdEYNbe5wSH92QQx-oagDVd3rbJksDxjmqzCNEwzpjg1Eqc3RWrbCRI2qq1ZBr6sGzfpysRVmpbekpQYLoj26WOgbUYUGIahdPzrzrYWvsvUnK3rQdEvjSci1dwM5IRmK/s400/IMG_20120701_101153.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuck down and framed - some fish and shells</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVybQHUtJDwRvMp_MwwqBGlI1DA-jYae0B0QD-0YJySF6TniMjHzEB_IySY11WL40xGHy57B_u1yzxAB9LlEs5EF_KSpxbWRpjbk3V98lKQLh0TYcASwD6UBYyafgmYhbq9QffIiT8UJF/s1600/IMG_20120701_101656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVybQHUtJDwRvMp_MwwqBGlI1DA-jYae0B0QD-0YJySF6TniMjHzEB_IySY11WL40xGHy57B_u1yzxAB9LlEs5EF_KSpxbWRpjbk3V98lKQLh0TYcASwD6UBYyafgmYhbq9QffIiT8UJF/s400/IMG_20120701_101656.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ships from around the world</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxQUOMF6gLDDPZLhWs-h5hhyx4jVFIWBLfJj9-mP23C1ZcBP0TpElArw-nSCLHpsP3Wd4X06VnY_JuCmE5WbnynXKhg6_HX5uNJM7vtRF0PC8PXDvx1H1C6cIjxdbMHCEeJFRUzJpkk6V/s1600/IMG_20120701_114812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxQUOMF6gLDDPZLhWs-h5hhyx4jVFIWBLfJj9-mP23C1ZcBP0TpElArw-nSCLHpsP3Wd4X06VnY_JuCmE5WbnynXKhg6_HX5uNJM7vtRF0PC8PXDvx1H1C6cIjxdbMHCEeJFRUzJpkk6V/s400/IMG_20120701_114812.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second one is a more classic layout with butterflies and blooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up on the wall :)</td></tr>
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<br />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com4Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-8899445042799141222012-06-10T23:12:00.000+01:002012-06-10T23:12:13.285+01:00A customised post card for Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At last, I have made something. I haven't been in the mood for making of late. My new job is zapping all my energy both physically and emotionally. My brain is full of German and there just isn't any space left for creativity. However, with Father's Day only a week away, I thought I should have a go at a simple make.<br />
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I used a large postcard that I bought in a pack of 5 at Ikea the other year. I really like these vintage sailing ship images. To pep it up a little, I put a blue pennant on the mast, some glitter, a felt heart and some seagull ribbon on the top corner. It will be making it's way from the Czech Republic to the UK tomorrow, with any luck.<br />
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I didn't make a gift for my Dad this year, but I did find some lovely presents for him in the <a href="http://www.highgroveshop.com/" target="_blank">Highgrove</a> online shop. If you want something a bit different on the gardening and homeware side, take a look!<br />
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What are you making for Father's Day?Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-8869340072580213852012-05-17T22:21:00.000+01:002012-05-17T22:21:57.896+01:00New name, new look!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUm23yJEwy2uiKzugfV8Mqhac8V60nHL6nGMP6WXd37B-ed7H0EiYjLElFRh6veXQUTIvf4DZ4mP6bBi-KpEma8fiKbPnw5orSmkEfflHdsInU3jynaLHxhqeZanuomrkqUL9r-1Lcp_g/s1600/Ta-da!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUm23yJEwy2uiKzugfV8Mqhac8V60nHL6nGMP6WXd37B-ed7H0EiYjLElFRh6veXQUTIvf4DZ4mP6bBi-KpEma8fiKbPnw5orSmkEfflHdsInU3jynaLHxhqeZanuomrkqUL9r-1Lcp_g/s400/Ta-da!.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had a day off today and suddenly decided that my blog needed a make-over. I found some lovely free backgrounds, headers and buttons at <a href="http://shabbyblogs.com/" target="_blank">shabbyblogs.com</a> and with the help of their tutorials, did some editing on <a href="http://www.fotoflexer.com/" target="_blank">FotoFlexer</a> to customise my chosen header template.<br />
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What do you think of the new look?<br />
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I have also renamed my blog "Craft Nouveau". I have kept the original URL so that I don't lose any faithful followers :)<br />
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I hope to find some inspiration soon and make my next crafty item and share it with you. In the meantime, take a look at some of my most visited posts or browse through the archive on my side bar.<br />
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TTFN<br />
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<br />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-13485872913118718092012-04-15T11:23:00.000+01:002012-04-15T11:23:04.277+01:00Thrifty ways to get creative with Ikea framesWhen I was last down at Ikea, I couldn't resist the bargain that was these 3 frames for the equivalent of a pound.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAM frames from Ikea</td></tr>
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They do the job if you want a postcard-sized frame, but are pretty dull - just a plain wood finish and a little rough around the edges. I decided some customisation was in order!</div>
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I have a favourite photo of a day out in Brighton that I wanted to display and thought a seaside-themed frame would be just the thing to top it off.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYYoZS0ab17FOqYKxsBuNCBeUDAGBqejMnCW15wy_5GlbK22ja_XWNpE_1Nd7kuUGJyfUM7HNj_z2niyzJk9jtTVXvR2xpD8vkod239-wQHhElYlrnzskInqUJC9ZQOCgthrPS1kjMEVx/s1600/Brighton+frame+Bougielyns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYYoZS0ab17FOqYKxsBuNCBeUDAGBqejMnCW15wy_5GlbK22ja_XWNpE_1Nd7kuUGJyfUM7HNj_z2niyzJk9jtTVXvR2xpD8vkod239-wQHhElYlrnzskInqUJC9ZQOCgthrPS1kjMEVx/s400/Brighton+frame+Bougielyns.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do like to be beside the seaside </td></tr>
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I painted the frame with different coloured acrylic paints (bought in the art shop sale back in Strasbourg) and gave it a wash of white to make it look a bit driftwoody.<br />
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For the top decoration, I painted some small wooden kebab skewers and inserted them into some holes I drilled into the top of the frame. I then used some bakers twine to create a washing line, from which I could peg some stamps of Brighton that I had bought a while back (see, hoarding is a good thing!).</div>
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I then took inspiration from the postage stamp framed collage that I had seen on <a href="http://sweetpaul.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/03/cr.html" target="_blank">Sweet Paul</a> and decided to put my dusty old stamp albums to good use. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgcRRPEpo9kQt2SOF1Je8kdHLe7fZpL442wwv7jB48Mh9OQpdJ98U3_CqtQAYIiu89yPRW-HbYhF0MMN-0G5iJaA27DJzR6uTtH5lqqQwZqZXy_o6SXvsCu_LRxA1FD2zS-7qX2boVXqY/s1600/PICT0405+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgcRRPEpo9kQt2SOF1Je8kdHLe7fZpL442wwv7jB48Mh9OQpdJ98U3_CqtQAYIiu89yPRW-HbYhF0MMN-0G5iJaA27DJzR6uTtH5lqqQwZqZXy_o6SXvsCu_LRxA1FD2zS-7qX2boVXqY/s400/PICT0405+(5).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple stamp selection with matching frame</td></tr>
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I picked out several purple stamps from around the world and then put them in a RAM frame painted green. I added a triangular stamp to the corner to add to the stamp theme. Again, this cost me nothing to make as I had all the stamps already and the green paint. Free art, what could be better?</div>
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Finally, I took a postcard of my favourite Mucha Art Nouveau piece, which is also my Blogger profile photo (I blogged about my trip to visit this sculpture <a href="http://modelmakeandmend.blogspot.com/2011/11/afternoon-of-art-nouveau.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and made a glitzy frame for it.</div>
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I found a very old pot of silver acrylic paint, which was just about usable and after the two coats had dried, glued on some craft gems that my boyf had given to me for Christmas. I think it sets the picture off well.</div>
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So, by spending just £1 on frames and using up craft materials and items I already had lying around, I have made 3 lovely new pictures to decorate my craft room :)</div>Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com6Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-26191400185994651872012-04-01T03:04:00.000+01:002012-04-01T03:08:52.680+01:00I can make that!Do you suffer from Icanmakethatitis (aka No-need-to-buy-cos-I-can-make-it-myself disorder)? This disorder is fairly common amongst arty-crafty types and also among DIY enthusiasts. It can creep up on you without warning. Just small signs at first ("I will have a go at making a bracelet") then moving on to full blown symptoms: "Why buy a fitted kitchen when I could make the whole thing myself from scratch?!"<br />
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I admit, I have Icanmakethatitis. I blame my Dad. I caught it from him. When I was little we would wander around the shops or craft fairs on the weekend and I would say, "Daddy, can I have one of those puppets/doll's houses/games/scooters?" and his reply would be "No, dear. I can make you that!". However, he vary rarely did. It's not that he couldn't, he's very talented and has made lots of things around the home from metal and glass coffee tables, to whole sheds from scratch and he always did all the DIY. He also worked 12 hours a day and half days on Saturdays, so no wonder he didn't really have time to make a lot of these things for me.<br />
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I mentioned to my Dad in passing last year, not expecting him to get round to it, that I would like a darning mushroom. I was therefore extremely excited when he sent me this lovely creation in the post. Sometimes knowing someone with Icanmakethatitis is not such a bad thing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IQ5NViRULfqOq_qP2Gbg56LgIrlwiSmAMR-Ecu-PkXSV-_BOpEViChaIi6jd-KtowUMTozAQ1Mu9f32JXu8gyYkrVmmLQ_6UM6avxzv-wlvIWRpjbSfIx9JZ-rOw3Crwo3sn6xNNJ_Bm/s1600/Darning+mushroom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1IQ5NViRULfqOq_qP2Gbg56LgIrlwiSmAMR-Ecu-PkXSV-_BOpEViChaIi6jd-KtowUMTozAQ1Mu9f32JXu8gyYkrVmmLQ_6UM6avxzv-wlvIWRpjbSfIx9JZ-rOw3Crwo3sn6xNNJ_Bm/s400/Darning+mushroom.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turned yew wood darning mushroom</td></tr>
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Since I got into crafting on a more regular basis and especially since I decided to make all my <a href="http://modelmakeandmend.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-crafting-bonanza.html" target="_blank">Christmas presents</a>, the Icanmakethatitis has worsened. I find myself thinking and saying "I can make that!" when wandering around shops and looking online A LOT. But, is that really such a good thing?<br />
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When you see an item that you like, you are not just paying for the materials, you are paying for the time it took that person to make it and also the original idea that they had. However, isn't it tempting when you see something to start planning how you would go about recreating it for yourself? Thoughts such as "I would save money if I made it myself. I could personalise it. I could learn a new skill!", all flit through your mind. But how many of us have the time and inclination to make these things?<br />
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Here is a case in point. About 3 years ago I saw this amazing lamp on sale in London. It has an amazing price tag too, unfortunately.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPV8gZm17LWJ9hop6MI18hyoxaV85bGtv2_5Gcv4uvTzImVB038XsWO-kJeHI_bB-d-Mfj42_mrX0mZWzfeWnI1jFQXblSS9PLSjhyenDPkIuJ64R-N310a70hGyUP51G9mP4-tRydhUa/s1600/Voliere+oiseau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPV8gZm17LWJ9hop6MI18hyoxaV85bGtv2_5Gcv4uvTzImVB038XsWO-kJeHI_bB-d-Mfj42_mrX0mZWzfeWnI1jFQXblSS9PLSjhyenDPkIuJ64R-N310a70hGyUP51G9mP4-tRydhUa/s400/Voliere+oiseau.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via: <a href="http://memeenautriche.com/product.php?id_product=485" target="_blank">Meme en Autriche</a></td></tr>
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Essentially, it is copper wire with those small birds you can get from craft and floristry suppliers sitting on wire rods inside. I really wanted it, but couldn't afford it, so my first thought was, yes, you guessed it, "I can make that!". I set about collecting as many colourful birdies as I could and even started looking at old lamps that I could reappropriate. However, I didn't get any further with my project and those dear little oiseaux are sitting forlornly in my craft room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CkxH5tlfwjzUBB-wAJiBYOl5wh5BbzUNTaj87xfK42MTpMHLyolvBpvuZhn0gGhE4HqGjzkLMyM4vFOv7UkTYnIFBD5NiWEMKWcsBTlkhvw0LpqTP3sMRBQdYdRV6jMUK07Uf0K67Goy/s1600/PICT0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CkxH5tlfwjzUBB-wAJiBYOl5wh5BbzUNTaj87xfK42MTpMHLyolvBpvuZhn0gGhE4HqGjzkLMyM4vFOv7UkTYnIFBD5NiWEMKWcsBTlkhvw0LpqTP3sMRBQdYdRV6jMUK07Uf0K67Goy/s400/PICT0085.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We had big dreams once. Now we just sit in a jam jar gazing out at the world"</td></tr>
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You would have thought I'd learnt from that failed lamp attempt, but, no! My boyfriend and I have always liked this rather groovy Campari bottle lamp, which can sometimes be found hanging in trendy bars and restaurants:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwVz15Zf6dWnaJUmGJaYg40RHW8xZihO4545xzOJ8F8BHPFt02QiAR85JiZsT11vEfbYeX0UI8K5nIwUC7pQqrdXsHSIqqUkRXVs30ACfy9LBH3M4z-gSE8_mZo9UArbgESji8GWW8pyB/s1600/Campari+light+by+Vineyard+Adventures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwVz15Zf6dWnaJUmGJaYg40RHW8xZihO4545xzOJ8F8BHPFt02QiAR85JiZsT11vEfbYeX0UI8K5nIwUC7pQqrdXsHSIqqUkRXVs30ACfy9LBH3M4z-gSE8_mZo9UArbgESji8GWW8pyB/s400/Campari+light+by+Vineyard+Adventures.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockin_robbin/" target="_blank">Vineyard Adventures</a></td></tr>
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Goodness knows how I would manage to make this light shade, but here are my little empty Campari Soda bottles waiting on the window ledge for a day that will probably never come:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7pJ_0A37s9KydSH7fwGslQJB0jhSWOOCqhe8o1R7BXGxyIXzQs5DOFcaPyQet3HNEu4lw_Bu_S1vaby_YTfitpbFM1BpV_s_mKBABA8uA6ni489ngqVXaFjbHA37OUaIv6JCMzQWd3Yr/s1600/Campari+Soda+bottles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7pJ_0A37s9KydSH7fwGslQJB0jhSWOOCqhe8o1R7BXGxyIXzQs5DOFcaPyQet3HNEu4lw_Bu_S1vaby_YTfitpbFM1BpV_s_mKBABA8uA6ni489ngqVXaFjbHA37OUaIv6JCMzQWd3Yr/s400/Campari+Soda+bottles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five Campari bottles, sitting on a wall...</td></tr>
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I'm not sure I will ever be cured of Icanmakethatitis, but I will try and be more realistic and accept that I don't have the time (even if I think I have the wherewithal) to make all these things. If I really want something, then I should give credit where it's due to the person who made it by buying the one they made.<br />
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I think the key is to stick to making things that you are <b>not</b> able to buy: something personalised or unique that will have special meaning for you or the person you are making it for. It's much nicer to have something that you know nobody else will have, because you came up with the idea and made just the one :)<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com8Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-90324827131583784102012-03-30T16:25:00.000+01:002012-03-30T16:30:05.993+01:00Made of WIN!!!1I really can't remember the last time I won anything, so imagine my amazement when <a href="http://poshyarns.blogspot.com/2012/03/pen-to-paper-i-did-not-mean-to-be-away.html" target="_blank">my name was drawn</a> out of the ceramic bowl in the Posh Yarns <a href="http://poshyarns.blogspot.com/2012/02/smile-i-have-been-making-these-key-fobs.html" target="_blank">give away</a>! It was really nice of Rebecca to include international entries and as you can see my beautiful prize made it's way safely to me here in the Czech Republic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5cRUikFhC5268uaN8VUKT7GXQjk8pTC7jdkL32JGFU5G5uucKfP004d4zISjLDH208nasF2f174aQwHn9RlUgapp3bMe05y6hbVsFkWx2cyRP0dw-ITcXxrxOADCvyBp2N8RAwkMVNkB/s1600/PICT0405+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5cRUikFhC5268uaN8VUKT7GXQjk8pTC7jdkL32JGFU5G5uucKfP004d4zISjLDH208nasF2f174aQwHn9RlUgapp3bMe05y6hbVsFkWx2cyRP0dw-ITcXxrxOADCvyBp2N8RAwkMVNkB/s400/PICT0405+(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautifully wrapped - will reuse the ribbon and button :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSBhk5y8Tnq_2AgigbqxQpdi12J5mDMAfHrzaWFupqx2DCXrCizM-dXPAN2Llkw6KCmM4KpHBGS5IqIzPzTUJs7Qk4Ifd68a6ym0Yeq6FlveLALKi2vlM3AyZoqxqIJkG9brSiugC-C_d/s1600/PICT0411+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSBhk5y8Tnq_2AgigbqxQpdi12J5mDMAfHrzaWFupqx2DCXrCizM-dXPAN2Llkw6KCmM4KpHBGS5IqIzPzTUJs7Qk4Ifd68a6ym0Yeq6FlveLALKi2vlM3AyZoqxqIJkG9brSiugC-C_d/s400/PICT0411+(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My key fob prize - guaranteed to bring a smile to your face</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0xfdw2n8RKcpAEAt2JeIP_p6zaa8jiCrWiIDT2FbHvgael2opq-aLKQ7O2AWQmtHaZ3pf1Iji2cMjRBNw71OdLa6AF0Cq6bnFbbPgcbo3woXdTy9aarKScWg8XDb6X1mpdvvMAw9gSE-/s1600/PICT0413+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0xfdw2n8RKcpAEAt2JeIP_p6zaa8jiCrWiIDT2FbHvgael2opq-aLKQ7O2AWQmtHaZ3pf1Iji2cMjRBNw71OdLa6AF0Cq6bnFbbPgcbo3woXdTy9aarKScWg8XDb6X1mpdvvMAw9gSE-/s400/PICT0413+(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So dainty and beautifully stitched, too.</td></tr>
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Rebecca sells these lovely key fobs along with other gorgeous things in her online <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/handmadeatposhyarns" target="_blank">shop</a>. I will definitely be browsing next time I need a gift. After all, I can't make everything myself! This key fob has made me want to try machine embroidery, though. Just need to get the special foot and needle and have a go!Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com4Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-64102752839897406122012-03-25T21:51:00.000+01:002012-03-25T21:51:16.348+01:00Fimo, coral and wooden bead necklace with charmsAfter a creative slump during the last week or so, I finally got myself into gear and made the long necklace I have been planning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5TCUd8JlDK79lqhqc3_NqrqVqiyspIZvl4b90bNpTiuUWHa3KSwv3w2IXpAANL-0tOKoZ4PMHl-r2X9h2I5ZHQCvw4_3lRpaEelSOzXEOUccerN4_eSjbn8lLmLYwUbitgn_ePe_nM50/s1600/PICT0411+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5TCUd8JlDK79lqhqc3_NqrqVqiyspIZvl4b90bNpTiuUWHa3KSwv3w2IXpAANL-0tOKoZ4PMHl-r2X9h2I5ZHQCvw4_3lRpaEelSOzXEOUccerN4_eSjbn8lLmLYwUbitgn_ePe_nM50/s400/PICT0411+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I found a really good bead shop in Brno and bought some charms which I customised with tassles for an ethnic vibe and also got a few coral and semi-precious stone beads.<br />
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I also recycled some beads from old earrings and used up some wooden beads that I have had hanging around for at least 15 years in my bead box! The long tube beads I made myself out of Fimo. I followed the faux bone technique in my polymer clay bead book that I got for Christmas. It took ages to make them and the polishing was hard work, but I like the final effect.<br />
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The necklace is just what I wanted to go with my jumper and a new brown top I got and better still it didn't cost me hardly anything :)Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com2Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-24802587814318819132012-03-13T22:50:00.002+00:002012-03-25T22:10:36.577+01:001980s nostalgiaLast year, I ordered some nice flowers for my Mum for Mother's Day, but I wanted to make something this year in keeping with my handmade drive. It has to be postable, so that limits my options. I was going to do a painting, as the <a href="http://modelmakeandmend.blogspot.com/2011/10/strasbourg-sunset-triptych.html" target="_blank">one I did for my Dad</a> went down really well, but in the end I plumped for a bracelet. I'm pleased with the final result.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5oDNKjmGzuV-ckcJtVQDXX-wrVvw049POcfuHeWGh74LGfA_WAjG4ibU-xt_JzdalThj3H50Mo2dwXOp8kwtQ4zXA0mkMRkmwrTnq4LqAULORwqwr_7yOWzsCU_po9-89ILWkL56xByM/s1600/PICT0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5oDNKjmGzuV-ckcJtVQDXX-wrVvw049POcfuHeWGh74LGfA_WAjG4ibU-xt_JzdalThj3H50Mo2dwXOp8kwtQ4zXA0mkMRkmwrTnq4LqAULORwqwr_7yOWzsCU_po9-89ILWkL56xByM/s400/PICT0346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family memories - 1980.</td></tr>
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I'm especially pleased that I finally got to use these "magnifying cabochons". I bought them back in 2007 and had all sorts of ideas of what I could do with them, but it never quite worked. I picked them up from my favourite French haberdasher's/bead shop, <a href="http://www.ladroguerie.com/" target="_blank">La Droguerie</a> (if you are ever in a French city that has one - go there!) and they refer to them as<i> loups</i>. I decided to scan and print some photos of me and my Dad from 1980 and put them in the cabochons. I then added some charms and used some pearls recycled from a broken necklace. I think my Mum will like it.<br />
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Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there!Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-52256243673422246182012-03-10T22:45:00.000+00:002012-03-10T22:45:23.367+00:00Craft room showcaseI have finally managed to start sorting out my crafting space now that I have almost all my craft things in one country. It wasn't easy - it involved a car journey, a lorry delivery and a flight! When we moved to the Czech Republic from France via the UK at the beginning of 2012 I knew that I definitely wanted a 2-bedroom flat again so that I could have somewhere to keep all my craft paraphernalia and also somewhere suitable to sit so I didn't keep losing beads and bits of Fimo down the side of the sofa all the time. I was really pleased that we were able to find a nice place that had a good sized second bedroom:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZhbrIEpymYg_Ii2uLigB2xothA9CWjxFIIpBiQLjlERyq48T6AtZe2PE8VVmcdMX1FZKFGFlXy4oYBj_qMk8-9QaH9eGWvzszL3_Yj8GoLeH1zUPcTo9_y2M2RNNwUimuVm_P6kCdv00/s400/PICT0342+(2).JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blank canvas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AhyVORmvH3lVWa1sirY4ezOTlB1RVzg6YigkEGBJEJuJDcToCXdlRCnqKVbd4QQPNWyuhyphenhyphen56DluLz_8jwiLajd9J6fY9p-f5gskgvQsJFxvxq5Qc1CgEPAZv8lmTnJnI6gjLsrYbwpda/s1600/PICT0345+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AhyVORmvH3lVWa1sirY4ezOTlB1RVzg6YigkEGBJEJuJDcToCXdlRCnqKVbd4QQPNWyuhyphenhyphen56DluLz_8jwiLajd9J6fY9p-f5gskgvQsJFxvxq5Qc1CgEPAZv8lmTnJnI6gjLsrYbwpda/s400/PICT0345+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the window - a balloon floats by :)</td></tr>
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Before investing in items of furniture, I decided to have a look around on the internet for inspiration. I came across a couple of fellow bloggers who had already posted about their craft rooms. <a href="http://scrapperdashery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Judi</a> has an amazing <a href="http://scrapperdashery.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-promised-you-more-photos.html" target="_blank">craft studio</a> in her garden with an array of storage and the best stock of craft supplies I have ever seen!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvS2NoW9PYNjxbXcnVR4vDD3gDmG7ep9TvPEcbvBNn5DWBy3-iKsyPMRatiT3pJ2p8jdmklr86GqpPBCzTAr4t8vFbKDjpRhTpiPzw_-Weg9QDv31evHoz-qSWrPK_tzkWv9K_MpX26gg/s1600/Judi+craft+studio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvS2NoW9PYNjxbXcnVR4vDD3gDmG7ep9TvPEcbvBNn5DWBy3-iKsyPMRatiT3pJ2p8jdmklr86GqpPBCzTAr4t8vFbKDjpRhTpiPzw_-Weg9QDv31evHoz-qSWrPK_tzkWv9K_MpX26gg/s400/Judi+craft+studio.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I want this! Photo courtesy of Judi Hodgkin</span></td></tr>
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We don't all have the space for garden craft studios, but any space can be turned into a crafting zone. This time last year, Laura at <a href="http://nimblefingersandsteadyeyebrows.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Nimble Fingers and Steady Eyebrows</a> blogged about her craft attic space:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJNb__pYDB0hdS6GCPNMX40jaQWEEOflKL_5x1Lrpi4q-J85G8IA-7bHfXflQiPw4DI1_dpxOI3UwjpGQwoYUJx6Lcrvg7HU1g09W55nlL_7dwI6rqK5qcWK8z9TwrkkzUl5MYX7URGU3/s1600/Lauras+Loft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJNb__pYDB0hdS6GCPNMX40jaQWEEOflKL_5x1Lrpi4q-J85G8IA-7bHfXflQiPw4DI1_dpxOI3UwjpGQwoYUJx6Lcrvg7HU1g09W55nlL_7dwI6rqK5qcWK8z9TwrkkzUl5MYX7URGU3/s400/Lauras+Loft.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Laura via: <a href="http://nimblefingersandsteadyeyebrows.blogspot.com/2011/03/corner-of-ones-own.html" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">A corner of one's own</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span> </span></td></tr>
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I love the retro sewing machine and cute little personal touches used.<br />
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So, what about my craft space? What should I do with it? I have made a start as I really wanted at least a desk to sit at for the time being, but I want to do a lot more with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mowO-rik9TQ9fubIl3Eov4bnrFLjB5qvYNyoIkWzDniVdO_lY3EBrEqNKrZpvm7rEERfJHf5BCcp_Brwf8qT8_0p_a8FtWtwdS-8fAmi3AQZH43tqTas8OvrvR_LvKuBr2euDOozWcpT/s1600/PICT0350+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mowO-rik9TQ9fubIl3Eov4bnrFLjB5qvYNyoIkWzDniVdO_lY3EBrEqNKrZpvm7rEERfJHf5BCcp_Brwf8qT8_0p_a8FtWtwdS-8fAmi3AQZH43tqTas8OvrvR_LvKuBr2euDOozWcpT/s400/PICT0350+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tranquil corner</td></tr>
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Trouble is, I have quite a lot of bits and bobs to accommodate as I am a somewhat eclectic crafter (cross stitch, sewing, Fimo modelling, jewellery making, paper crafting, candle making, mosaic, to name but a few!) so I need some nifty storage ideas and also some style inspiration.<br />
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This is where you, dear reader, come in! I have set up a linky thing at the bottom of this post (my first attempt, so hope it works!) and would love you to share links to your blog posts or online photos of your crafting space big or small, modern or shabby chic, professional or amateur. I'm also quite nosey, so it's a good excuse to peek into the inner sanctum of fellow crafters, ha ha! You will hopefully also pick up some ideas you can borrow ;)<br />
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Happy linking and don't forget to tweet about this post!<br />
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<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=d419b883-8f57-408e-b044-91dfb9473ff1" type="text/javascript">
</script>Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com5Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-84573671299416861212012-02-14T08:27:00.002+00:002012-02-14T23:20:01.429+00:00Sweetie Geeky Valentine's DayIt's been a while since I last did a craft blog post, this is because I was in the middle of <a href="http://www.cernycaj.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">moving to the Czech Republic</a>. I also couldn't do any crafting as most of my craft supplies were in storage in Strasbourg and a large box are still sitting in the UK. However, I felt like making my own Valentine's card for my beloved yesterday, so wandered into town to see what the Brno stationery/craft store had to offer.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYuEgAhsH1gIxATY62XhF0-DfABxVUjrLvqzHA3vNr76slbVa4FN3wEPTYVZgJQYf6Iwp4jNoEPXHdDS4FSLdghQ_IK9quj3FpAx2xMU9zIGzHMSZFoGI1CpFrL6653QTVcNZNLbNSXTK/s1600/PICT0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYuEgAhsH1gIxATY62XhF0-DfABxVUjrLvqzHA3vNr76slbVa4FN3wEPTYVZgJQYf6Iwp4jNoEPXHdDS4FSLdghQ_IK9quj3FpAx2xMU9zIGzHMSZFoGI1CpFrL6653QTVcNZNLbNSXTK/s400/PICT0318.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coloured card, scissors and sweeties.</td></tr>
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In less than half an hour I turned my bits and bobs into this unique, partly-edible card:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZHtxWEu3rcwv0YnwgUQ7DboUeEZLNaIGOhZk-FVX-BbZCu74ZbynVjCWvUQdVGahhvPbIqD697atnyOvsYXax4APU430TcD5sqe5wbBTj7ZwFhWVH3H5rNY5naWBKQc3_yxHsGmjfjI0/s1600/PICT0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZHtxWEu3rcwv0YnwgUQ7DboUeEZLNaIGOhZk-FVX-BbZCu74ZbynVjCWvUQdVGahhvPbIqD697atnyOvsYXax4APU430TcD5sqe5wbBTj7ZwFhWVH3H5rNY5naWBKQc3_yxHsGmjfjI0/s400/PICT0324.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nom, nom, nom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkHSRVULKrKRrl9cE3OcF1_ftwn1txv2Hous4U6MF9nS-5vinma6fql8WohBqW9PDDn5n4mYE3rwJPCAtfmF04yk_mI9MGYLTOu2zBkkezXOGoUtUaUXsbZsdsFBvO6l5F2GntdRL_Reg/s1600/PICT0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkHSRVULKrKRrl9cE3OcF1_ftwn1txv2Hous4U6MF9nS-5vinma6fql8WohBqW9PDDn5n4mYE3rwJPCAtfmF04yk_mI9MGYLTOu2zBkkezXOGoUtUaUXsbZsdsFBvO6l5F2GntdRL_Reg/s400/PICT0322.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Message inside.</td></tr>
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I didn't make a present, but I did the next best thing for my cuddly toy and Linux-loving boyfriend - a giant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux" target="_blank">Tux</a>! He was thrilled with him!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9VDAF_QI-zoeu9SE40j0BwjaeeWoEyUfNaxrzDjpWgPoJNHfqVDt9zzn3lte58C8klfdkFzILQYccY_uvjqJSymZShBfqBFPFVjX51vERUgtlaR9zaCzZO8wVcEN-KZks99blujxzzme/s1600/PICT0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9VDAF_QI-zoeu9SE40j0BwjaeeWoEyUfNaxrzDjpWgPoJNHfqVDt9zzn3lte58C8klfdkFzILQYccY_uvjqJSymZShBfqBFPFVjX51vERUgtlaR9zaCzZO8wVcEN-KZks99blujxzzme/s400/PICT0326.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy Tux with baby Tux - IT geek cuteness.</td></tr>
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He weighs a ton and I had fun riding home on the tram with him :)<br />
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Happy Valentine's Day!Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com1Brno, Czech Republic49.1920506 16.613190949.1090351 16.4552624 49.275066100000004 16.7711194tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-53342146205950177282012-01-04T10:00:00.000+00:002012-01-04T12:57:09.440+00:00Bag a crafty charity bargain!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I went out to the post office in my local village yesterday afternoon and found these gorgeous <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/fundraise/individuals/rspb/pinbadges/weddingsandclubs.aspx" target="_blank">RSPB pin badges</a> on the counter. I couldn't resist them and at (a suggested donation of) £1 each, thought they were quite a bargain. They look great on a jacket, or you could incorporate them into some sort of crafty make - embellishing a bag or a handmade card, for example.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j38IzHtE7YRqdkaL_BDlTewX9DUJ9oiqVeFh-qoIDVyonqNsMrNpgQDEboGNmcn_-0rqUaVOHgbZKTlGmjzDZiWBaK4djHbCpFYOVuzbGdeZYY78AzFFOYlWgAj9F7gW58ApsSxRxeH_/s1600/RSPB+pin+badges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j38IzHtE7YRqdkaL_BDlTewX9DUJ9oiqVeFh-qoIDVyonqNsMrNpgQDEboGNmcn_-0rqUaVOHgbZKTlGmjzDZiWBaK4djHbCpFYOVuzbGdeZYY78AzFFOYlWgAj9F7gW58ApsSxRxeH_/s400/RSPB+pin+badges.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldcrest, great tit and chaffinch pins</td></tr>
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When I got home I started thinking about all the other charities that must have online shops and was amazed at the great range of gifts I came across. A lot of online charity shops now have craft sections, which is ideal for a crafty type like myself :) After Christmas, most online charity shops have slashed their prices too, so it's a great opportunity to pick up a bargain and know that your money is going towards something worthwhile.<br />
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Here are my top charity crafty picks to start 2012 with a warm and fuzzy feeling:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJNas76xhH6-IZiR-Ab0l_548fZbk53MUvFpdxhd0Pm_O_NzrMBP3RNNR5PipH_vc5lTOBNnI98-_nG4tBLhQnZPeCxa77F0Xi1DgFiooPQOgLTzrwTAbA2cLb6yYobGP102jPongIQwa/s1600/Marie+Curie+notebook.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJNas76xhH6-IZiR-Ab0l_548fZbk53MUvFpdxhd0Pm_O_NzrMBP3RNNR5PipH_vc5lTOBNnI98-_nG4tBLhQnZPeCxa77F0Xi1DgFiooPQOgLTzrwTAbA2cLb6yYobGP102jPongIQwa/s400/Marie+Curie+notebook.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notebook: via <a href="http://shop.mariecurie.org.uk/products/1322-notebooks-white-on-brown.aspx" target="_blank">Marie Curie</a></td></tr>
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These notebooks not only look great, they are also made from recycled paper and cost an amzing £1.49. A must-have for creative doodling, lists and planning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSYFV3kBR1Po9OzcXFG21r71pBLhoxq5U_eWWkohURdAonpyQ72Xt1itfGxnV-wNZcaVZEGhSM7x2QBoh2DFYRco5XHtG3bbNxXOA6gRjDMfjfPNAhS6E7HZk0z4cqSUwdWiks4pea6su/s1600/Marie+Curie+gift+wrap+pack.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSYFV3kBR1Po9OzcXFG21r71pBLhoxq5U_eWWkohURdAonpyQ72Xt1itfGxnV-wNZcaVZEGhSM7x2QBoh2DFYRco5XHtG3bbNxXOA6gRjDMfjfPNAhS6E7HZk0z4cqSUwdWiks4pea6su/s400/Marie+Curie+gift+wrap+pack.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift wrap pack: via <a href="http://shop.mariecurie.org.uk/products/1320-gift-wrap-pack.aspx" target="_blank">Marie Curie</a></td></tr>
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Gorgeous paper, tissue, tags and cards currently at a reduced price for presenting your handmade gifts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EpInE_CaSrZRx7hDXdtpCJjg5rwGS_bAtM0n_SxQDMwL7vWVRkNJs4I0MVGieI1Zf3GuRZrdrIgm1fEMRuCiVGvetZRnCPmBfBoFIl_bgRsLpmKu3ROkzEwV4A3_0xEfZbjpo5zW0Srn/s1600/Marie+Curie+sewing+box.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EpInE_CaSrZRx7hDXdtpCJjg5rwGS_bAtM0n_SxQDMwL7vWVRkNJs4I0MVGieI1Zf3GuRZrdrIgm1fEMRuCiVGvetZRnCPmBfBoFIl_bgRsLpmKu3ROkzEwV4A3_0xEfZbjpo5zW0Srn/s400/Marie+Curie+sewing+box.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sewing Box: via <a href="http://shop.mariecurie.org.uk/products/1403-sewing-box.aspx" target="_blank">Marie Curie</a></td></tr>
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Store your sewing essentials for a bargainous £5! Sew cute ;)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskH2WHez22jzCul0V99k7qWLeR2tt_R2jOtzm7qXMDoQ3_eCHByfCv2toOqWQaZSgF-34TZdLP2annRWGyOWG8FHIdC0l9W54thIeArcOC5XrPiMbg0N6mPWEN1a7tsONwHS0656I3LPr/s1600/Button+Box+Cancer+Research.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskH2WHez22jzCul0V99k7qWLeR2tt_R2jOtzm7qXMDoQ3_eCHByfCv2toOqWQaZSgF-34TZdLP2annRWGyOWG8FHIdC0l9W54thIeArcOC5XrPiMbg0N6mPWEN1a7tsONwHS0656I3LPr/s400/Button+Box+Cancer+Research.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Button Box: via <a href="http://giftshop.cancerresearchuk.org/sale/button-box.html" target="_blank">Cancer Research</a></td></tr>
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Do you use buttons in your crafting? Grab a bargain while you can!<br />
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The <a href="http://giftshop.cancerresearchuk.org/" target="_blank">Cancer Research online shop</a> was the best place I found for crafting supplies and the following are all currently reduced in the January 2012 sale:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WK2nTqCtDRc5-DoRtBTcjHnpW-uJcEyNC-pp8kTzDhfnBJ2zCa_aAJAxxHoYDaI0kGwmG66PyeQeew5qUB6RPJODJgr9ZW_tBEWyfBzGv4b6ntJ2rEBaH6bg68IivnFLxat9LtnncTud/s1600/Red+retrospot+tape+cancer+research.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WK2nTqCtDRc5-DoRtBTcjHnpW-uJcEyNC-pp8kTzDhfnBJ2zCa_aAJAxxHoYDaI0kGwmG66PyeQeew5qUB6RPJODJgr9ZW_tBEWyfBzGv4b6ntJ2rEBaH6bg68IivnFLxat9LtnncTud/s400/Red+retrospot+tape+cancer+research.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red retrospot tape: via <a href="http://giftshop.cancerresearchuk.org/sale/red-retrospot-tape.html" target="_blank">Cancer Research</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsQWTIkUhAVKERw3178MTh0kn3LoQKIq3r1hpJra2uyqZRgC1E3nwunoAd2zafpXv_5bD1nr-LAn1BlAUslPY3TwXscKL8SudZORxSdAwishTDK6dYPh30G4tT95vchGKgt64wY0L48jk/s1600/Empire+ribbons+Cancer+Research.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsQWTIkUhAVKERw3178MTh0kn3LoQKIq3r1hpJra2uyqZRgC1E3nwunoAd2zafpXv_5bD1nr-LAn1BlAUslPY3TwXscKL8SudZORxSdAwishTDK6dYPh30G4tT95vchGKgt64wY0L48jk/s400/Empire+ribbons+Cancer+Research.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Empire Ribbons: via <a href="http://giftshop.cancerresearchuk.org/sale/6-ribbons-empire.html" target="_blank">Cancer Research</a><br />
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</tbody></table>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3FsJha_nHs6NK7SgYvMEUz2NNGSOkYkU7Eq9ghiov1XIMX4_PxNAASZBXxz_8QlQ2sPDV331AXzzAJM2EYFV8bBC1fjBPjxXSEkwIdOaA9QckHq1lT9xmDIs6rCQ9QOUX_XODov9DwQO/s1600/Wood+stamp+set+cancer+research.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3FsJha_nHs6NK7SgYvMEUz2NNGSOkYkU7Eq9ghiov1XIMX4_PxNAASZBXxz_8QlQ2sPDV331AXzzAJM2EYFV8bBC1fjBPjxXSEkwIdOaA9QckHq1lT9xmDIs6rCQ9QOUX_XODov9DwQO/s400/Wood+stamp+set+cancer+research.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Happy Birthday stamp set: via <a href="http://giftshop.cancerresearchuk.org/sale/wood-stamp-set-happy-birthday.html" target="_blank">Cancer Research</a></td></tr>
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<br />
If stitching is your thing, then cruise over to the British Red Cross shop to pick up this reduced kit:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRiS3ZLZBt8vn2KK-0LsP_tUwAVE5f_T6Pkgr2otY81hSFqQm3BE3xefOZmJK-T4Ed-5_pnAcr08B2hJRoP5dgcBgI2CfzFrQyq95unGiZa6E6LsX3H53LTM8cHI83HwOFV1w56dtVltB/s1600/love20letters20tapestry20cushion20front20kit20ALR34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRiS3ZLZBt8vn2KK-0LsP_tUwAVE5f_T6Pkgr2otY81hSFqQm3BE3xefOZmJK-T4Ed-5_pnAcr08B2hJRoP5dgcBgI2CfzFrQyq95unGiZa6E6LsX3H53LTM8cHI83HwOFV1w56dtVltB/s400/love20letters20tapestry20cushion20front20kit20ALR34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVE letters tapestry kit: via<a href="http://giftshop.redcross.org.uk/product/love-letters-tapestry-kit" target="_blank"> British Red Cross</a></td></tr>
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And finally, in case you need to be doing textiles crafting on the go, this adorable <a href="http://www.rnlishop.org.uk/clearance/at-home/info/magic-stitch-cordless-sewing-machine/588603.html" target="_blank">Magic Stitch Cordless Sewing Machine</a> is currently £5 off in the RNLI sale.<br />
<br />
Happy January sale shopping! If you come across any other charity crafting bargain buys, please share them in the comments below.Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com9Bristol, UK51.454513 -2.5879151.375358 -2.7458385 51.533668 -2.4299815tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-15564954926118691552011-12-28T21:23:00.000+00:002011-12-29T14:34:50.019+00:00Christmas crafting bonanzaAs some of you will know, this year I decided to do an entirely handmade selection of Christmas gifts for friends and family. This was partly because I haven't been working for a while and wanted to cut down on spending, but also because I wanted an excuse to try out lots of new crafts! I didn't blog about them at the time of making as I didn't want to spoil it for the recipients, but now that Christmas is over I thought I would show you some of my makes. I'm annoyed that I didn't get round to photographing all of them or getting pictures of them all wrapped up as I put a lot of effort in to the gift wrapping this year with handmade tags, paper and trimmings, but I was in the middle of an international move, so I think I can forgive myself :)<br />
<br />
Let the Christmas present showcase commence!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo92DF3cjyo7LlQqqv92R3NoVSfnaSjrAFUpi9lXImSyLJePvk4Ij4HI6sCieG7Rzou7cjEwDMNOiytSHhQrAfnYm3VqhKejsoHPynJgiOX1t38NRshgddjtOIzrb1TafYzULqhPSOGK67/s1600/Covered+notebook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo92DF3cjyo7LlQqqv92R3NoVSfnaSjrAFUpi9lXImSyLJePvk4Ij4HI6sCieG7Rzou7cjEwDMNOiytSHhQrAfnYm3VqhKejsoHPynJgiOX1t38NRshgddjtOIzrb1TafYzULqhPSOGK67/s400/Covered+notebook.JPG" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric covered <a href="http://modelmakeandmend.blogspot.com/2011/11/beetroot-and-babuschka.html">notebook</a> for my niece.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT17r3CGCgqHzlzZ0LmykOf1999hAyihI7KHr4tIYcXBAQDv9wp7FmhelkChoRH-zlUFPCCPUKEtczQ9jCwHWaEtE_ztZMQJjuwQGmhnbcxZ_krh3PbnUcdSuR5ZEOeENoxSpd0Tq96zk/s1600/Fimo+spoon+and+charms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT17r3CGCgqHzlzZ0LmykOf1999hAyihI7KHr4tIYcXBAQDv9wp7FmhelkChoRH-zlUFPCCPUKEtczQ9jCwHWaEtE_ztZMQJjuwQGmhnbcxZ_krh3PbnUcdSuR5ZEOeENoxSpd0Tq96zk/s400/Fimo+spoon+and+charms.JPG" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fimo covered festive spoon and charms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0srExWGlSJTRYCFgZsPuTGmWsdBitQ0HX6W7ieecwIU9alkVs5MtwHBPwgXzGCq7BDRRw48zX3OA4NjL31DYjZzG1xdn5Cw3N3i7ACiTlCXxSh82YMZHM_1_9D8RtxEfrCRfi5htSQwz/s1600/Homemade+liqueurs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0srExWGlSJTRYCFgZsPuTGmWsdBitQ0HX6W7ieecwIU9alkVs5MtwHBPwgXzGCq7BDRRw48zX3OA4NjL31DYjZzG1xdn5Cw3N3i7ACiTlCXxSh82YMZHM_1_9D8RtxEfrCRfi5htSQwz/s400/Homemade+liqueurs.JPG" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A joint effort with my boyf: pear vodka and winter spice liqueur for all the men folk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGujr9GnRn1EKVOTr60giX2kAaKDYRoNsRCJCxAFpsS28HhXpr5g5EZwbNNGMfcY81BkMe9JzrsDKbb1w5dFT79CaVs1_nt1OkkESEFiaQFSMrQR9nRwXGiE0VTuTXs0hhOli8J9DC4Oc/s1600/Joyeux+Noel+card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGujr9GnRn1EKVOTr60giX2kAaKDYRoNsRCJCxAFpsS28HhXpr5g5EZwbNNGMfcY81BkMe9JzrsDKbb1w5dFT79CaVs1_nt1OkkESEFiaQFSMrQR9nRwXGiE0VTuTXs0hhOli8J9DC4Oc/s400/Joyeux+Noel+card.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cross stitched card for my parents.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZDh-iDwH1adXIsaOKyLks7R-FWMGrCBCsheBxK-s9qihzJE50PH8f2Otz7AqQsQKtXjlZlXowWdzpOmfkS06z9RmUbqFitmHR2Y6V2Wkl42JOHQ2rbjA_mnFFK5zdWBi4uxQuEWE059t/s1600/Mincemeat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZDh-iDwH1adXIsaOKyLks7R-FWMGrCBCsheBxK-s9qihzJE50PH8f2Otz7AqQsQKtXjlZlXowWdzpOmfkS06z9RmUbqFitmHR2Y6V2Wkl42JOHQ2rbjA_mnFFK5zdWBi4uxQuEWE059t/s400/Mincemeat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorated jar of handmade <a href="http://modelmakeandmend.blogspot.com/2011/11/expat-christmas-mincemeat.html">mincemeat</a> for my French friend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6QnAdvNpjaRKZSYR3U7o3WlAuOAMSb1RTofGpaGnYtqhe9deS6m-P7UVzOMvFbkuFPfIxw5hmf9IDlN-qE2A-NUZ2f1xZhHe7UjVxQSe-wO_3o0ZuXnX2P7jEs9AcJn4p1wCTbFN0QAx/s1600/Pearl+bracelet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6QnAdvNpjaRKZSYR3U7o3WlAuOAMSb1RTofGpaGnYtqhe9deS6m-P7UVzOMvFbkuFPfIxw5hmf9IDlN-qE2A-NUZ2f1xZhHe7UjVxQSe-wO_3o0ZuXnX2P7jEs9AcJn4p1wCTbFN0QAx/s400/Pearl+bracelet.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade bracelet with charms for boyf's sister-in-law</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDanykxBPASj0DwnJLwyH0DltemcvctnflyjyQFGHoWunyebaus9WCMnCj4D-kgXgTtL6mIE7VassJGL3FEDu3CmEMpfvZiX_oMcuVg-dsg4qZZuYmVvADBILO2mh1shv4EIjRguoWF0tZ/s1600/Recyled+earings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDanykxBPASj0DwnJLwyH0DltemcvctnflyjyQFGHoWunyebaus9WCMnCj4D-kgXgTtL6mIE7VassJGL3FEDu3CmEMpfvZiX_oMcuVg-dsg4qZZuYmVvADBILO2mh1shv4EIjRguoWF0tZ/s400/Recyled+earings.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade earrings from recycled beads for boyf's sister.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTQP5hecYEaM33oHJdneimq0GDGfGzkQ2NTpVtAtucpjsTW7g5k5pL9zNQuhdjZobMPM4ostWZbPZwU04xGgtQjNOK4plANB_VXUVBlJL-nYF5SKYbJ728_5YFLGIx5rhhS7wZwQFcGgD/s1600/ribbon+band+pink+closeup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTQP5hecYEaM33oHJdneimq0GDGfGzkQ2NTpVtAtucpjsTW7g5k5pL9zNQuhdjZobMPM4ostWZbPZwU04xGgtQjNOK4plANB_VXUVBlJL-nYF5SKYbJ728_5YFLGIx5rhhS7wZwQFcGgD/s400/ribbon+band+pink+closeup.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ribbon hairband for my niece.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zxnpCACWud68EAXNAKHFNa3_PyXaIlb0CDN053HMeUdDE5E4UJ9Sb1yqCXo-HybvNPrLHT3sE_pX0c3X4dTc4MgfGPF_NMtN3EW9zWAtHzFqpyZ1FNnhXRlZAAO2-BAb3FnKxvbVap4b/s1600/Russian+doll+case.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zxnpCACWud68EAXNAKHFNa3_PyXaIlb0CDN053HMeUdDE5E4UJ9Sb1yqCXo-HybvNPrLHT3sE_pX0c3X4dTc4MgfGPF_NMtN3EW9zWAtHzFqpyZ1FNnhXRlZAAO2-BAb3FnKxvbVap4b/s400/Russian+doll+case.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sewing case for my friend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JEzmFef_6liwZfq_MKjGw-2XpFUzpRb4HYwQ9oxmve_wxm0RoLnCVTQdB-VuSuC8b08OwaBsGdKmrHqHty-_pIuMT2jhnKSf-0nm5-iAVol01WzALz_JzJRFu8hTlqawZb-LKYg-XVA5/s1600/Sewing+case.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JEzmFef_6liwZfq_MKjGw-2XpFUzpRb4HYwQ9oxmve_wxm0RoLnCVTQdB-VuSuC8b08OwaBsGdKmrHqHty-_pIuMT2jhnKSf-0nm5-iAVol01WzALz_JzJRFu8hTlqawZb-LKYg-XVA5/s400/Sewing+case.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really enjoyed doing all the hand sewing. This Russian doll kit was inspired <br />
by Flossie Teacakes <a href="http://flossieteacakes.blogspot.com/2011/10/matryoshka-needlecase-tutorial_28.html" target="_blank">needlecase tutorial</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hRC5rN6nxh6wwfF7Yv5tBsyYowhr4_2ohHTRPZyH0qcCUd2X2KEdfOm2lISrbOxx4nXqCCJCjeu0dk2KmeFJOYiQ5r7EavQlQZHuQoyN9N-ZhyngGF9k2RywLm2CQOZ5nXQer9IaOOWi/s1600/Space+Invader+purse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hRC5rN6nxh6wwfF7Yv5tBsyYowhr4_2ohHTRPZyH0qcCUd2X2KEdfOm2lISrbOxx4nXqCCJCjeu0dk2KmeFJOYiQ5r7EavQlQZHuQoyN9N-ZhyngGF9k2RywLm2CQOZ5nXQer9IaOOWi/s400/Space+Invader+purse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised cross stitch space invaders <a href="http://flossieteacakes.blogspot.com/2009/05/lined-zippered-pouch-make-up-bag.html" target="_blank">purse</a> for another niece. Made from all recycled materials.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My friend Rob pointed me in the direction of <a href="http://lifehacker.com/5862560/diy-food-item-magnets-help-keep-track-of-whats-in-your-freezer" target="_blank">this great idea</a> for keeping track of what's in your freezer, which I made for my Mum. I used pictures of food cut out of French and German supermarket special offer brochures, then laminated them and added a self-adhesive magnet to the back. It was a fairly quick and easy make which I would recommend.<br />
<br />
There are so many great tutorials and inspiring posts on the internet. Often my own ideas pop into my head, but it's always nice to know there is a range of practical help and projects that you can refer to or adapt whenever you want.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed making all my presents this year and will definitely do it again if I have the time.Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com5Bristol, UK51.454513 -2.5879151.375358 -2.7458385 51.533668 -2.4299815tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-87568562174694833442011-12-24T02:03:00.000+00:002011-12-24T02:27:58.544+00:00Some thoughts on ChristmasAs Christmas Day approaches, I find myself in a philosophical/cultural wrangle. What is Christmas exactly and what am I celebrating? I am an atheist/freethinker/humanist (there I've said it! Kind of feels good to get it out in the open) so how can I celebrate Christmas? Over the last few years I have found myself coming to the conclusion that I am celebrating the festive season, the spirit of joy and good will and coming together with friends and family. I am not celebrating the birth of Jesus, as I do not recognise him as the son of God and also do not believe that there is a God (Christian or otherwise).<br />
<br />
I was looking on line a couple of weeks back for some charitable activities I could get involved with in December. Unfortunately they all seem to be run by Christian charities which actively promote Christianity to the recipients of gifts or aid through missionary work. As this does not sit well with me, I started looking for secular alternatives. I was saddened to find that there don't seem to be hardly any. In the US they recently launched a campaign called "Good without God". I really like this sentiment. Surely, as humans, we all have the capacity for good and if we need a god to tell us to be good, is that really being charitable and caring about our fellow humans?<br />
<br />
One thing that has started to bother me about this time of year is Father Christmas or Santa Claus. I found a women's refuge website which was asking for gifts for children who would find themselves at the refuge over Christmas as their mothers would be forced to flee their home to escape domestic violence. The refuge asked for gifts as they said it would be difficult to explain to the children why Santa had not visited them this year. This thought of small children, already upset and scared by having to leave their home, then thinking that they had been too naughty to get presents from Santa this year or that Santa had forgotten about them, filled me with sorrow. I actually started crying at the thought. Maybe another person would want to send them a gift from "Santa", but I started to feel really angry. After all, why would the children think and feel like this? It's because society has fed them a pack of lies about an old man on a sleigh magically delivering presents to all the good children of the world. I really started to think about the Santa myth and its repercussions. I found these <a href="http://atheism.about.com/od/christmasholidayseason/p/SantaMyth.htm" target="_blank">arguments</a> online for not promoting it, which really resonate with me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some Scrooge who wants to spoil Christmas for little children, but I just don't see what positive aspects there are to the Santa myth. Wouldn't it be better to teach our children the value of gracious receiving and thanking the real person that gave them that gift rather than a make-believe character? Wouldn't it be better for our children not to feel that consumerism equals happiness?<br />
<br />
When I was little, Father Christmas was something that worried me. I lived in a house with a gas fire and wondered how on earth he would get into the house with no chimney. I didn't like the idea of him breaking in while we were sleeping. I asked lots of questions about him. As the questions were impossible to answer truthfully and sensibly, my parents always downplayed Father Christmas from then on. I still enjoyed Christmas each year.<br />
<br />
So, I don't think we need Santa or Jesus to enjoy the ancient celebration that takes place in December each year. Concentrate on being kind to each other and doing things to help others because you want to, because they are your fellow humans. I'm still going to search for a way to give back and help those less fortunate than myself that fits in with my ethics and world view. Give gifts to family and friends if you want, preferably something handmade and unique that will mean something to you and also to the recipient, but don't make it all about the presents. There are a million ways to say I love you and they don't come wrapped up with a bow or delivered by a man in a red suit.<br />
<br />
Wishing you a peaceful and contented Yule :)Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com0Bristol, UK51.454513 -2.5879151.375358 -2.7458385 51.533668 -2.4299815tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-74070535094013592452011-12-06T22:38:00.001+00:002011-12-06T23:24:39.244+00:00Lovely arts and crafts stuffI absolutely love making things, but this week I was thinking how much I love the stuff I make my stuff out of! I didn't realise just how many bits and bobs I had squirrelled away. I try not to let it take over the living room, as my boyf does get a bit annoyed with all the mess on the dining table. Here are a few snaps of my crafting supplies, which I think look just as appealing as what I will make out of them :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSZzIAebWyi24V0BriXanpgfHE209FB_BdrCDaR6a8moltxn-MSHWN4jNacMRr8_rR02NSkI90dZV7lsJPha_k1uHgDlAUtK-tGx2dUIHujyNqFmL_j7Z_7x0ciFtJFS5UYrvGwrjvkYy/s1600/PICT0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSZzIAebWyi24V0BriXanpgfHE209FB_BdrCDaR6a8moltxn-MSHWN4jNacMRr8_rR02NSkI90dZV7lsJPha_k1uHgDlAUtK-tGx2dUIHujyNqFmL_j7Z_7x0ciFtJFS5UYrvGwrjvkYy/s400/PICT0080.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A trug full of goodies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUsgCskPEc6DkDCQMimSxnk2c4UE-dtZQAJYYWbDMSKhyphenhyphenjwvwYVXgSWTwjFXQoujqAsyuOfOOFPgHP80wP9Sh5B4yJrpdcW9lU92FJ1_scT1HBaRTXmxM4va5TZpNSAKhPeIrG2Kil9n5/s1600/PICT0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUsgCskPEc6DkDCQMimSxnk2c4UE-dtZQAJYYWbDMSKhyphenhyphenjwvwYVXgSWTwjFXQoujqAsyuOfOOFPgHP80wP9Sh5B4yJrpdcW9lU92FJ1_scT1HBaRTXmxM4va5TZpNSAKhPeIrG2Kil9n5/s400/PICT0085.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A jar full of birds<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUxs5OKbqqWWotehOGWSfZhfl4hdUlmyuXFsGjHAimM1m5GsJNRr5b_Hx5F4yAJpdbQvMbRCU-E3n4UoBohHWtfkh-5-Klur9nZj-9OS9-1iEXiU-RJkr66a7M5n8ad70BiGdfYSvggbh/s1600/Huskystar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUxs5OKbqqWWotehOGWSfZhfl4hdUlmyuXFsGjHAimM1m5GsJNRr5b_Hx5F4yAJpdbQvMbRCU-E3n4UoBohHWtfkh-5-Klur9nZj-9OS9-1iEXiU-RJkr66a7M5n8ad70BiGdfYSvggbh/s640/Huskystar.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My faithful Huskystar and my favourite mug</td></tr>
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<br />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com0Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-87859042266634069082011-11-28T22:09:00.001+00:002011-11-28T22:34:17.238+00:00Christmas has arrived!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdQIKeiSrk2rJ05nnLF48a-ywLz9TO59rfa5OiwXvlWuGd2PeKs2C3iIAmW1NwUxzkdZet2wK6JU45Sn6PFcdqJHWUUO3sswyLohA7n3M9XCZEU_MNaN0wykluLpFhOcYc7R3GD_3kd2g/s1600/Alsace+baubles+zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdQIKeiSrk2rJ05nnLF48a-ywLz9TO59rfa5OiwXvlWuGd2PeKs2C3iIAmW1NwUxzkdZet2wK6JU45Sn6PFcdqJHWUUO3sswyLohA7n3M9XCZEU_MNaN0wykluLpFhOcYc7R3GD_3kd2g/s400/Alsace+baubles+zoom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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28 November - this is the day that Christmas begins! Yes, it's true. Across Europe, the Christmas markets opened their wooden shutters today. So, having one of the best Christmas markets on my doorstep, I thought it only right to toddle into town, have a mosey round and get in the festive spirit with some <i>vin chaud</i>. I also took the opportunity to take a few snaps to use in my home made Christmas cards and tags. Here are my favourites:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS93jOOMwelBrInMDqoS5y9uPTy5pQ8-btARVnsSY_NReQaEeHCMGXomW5KtJOMIJ6UF0b74HSL6_98qHEs5RSKZRDacCAojb2eACgIqF5KAfEmPYsPNKIklOGIsxVE0FsbKyPoJsXUYao/s1600/PICT0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS93jOOMwelBrInMDqoS5y9uPTy5pQ8-btARVnsSY_NReQaEeHCMGXomW5KtJOMIJ6UF0b74HSL6_98qHEs5RSKZRDacCAojb2eACgIqF5KAfEmPYsPNKIklOGIsxVE0FsbKyPoJsXUYao/s640/PICT0029.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strasbourg Cathedral<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeZFbMbJDSJcgWW5Cxk6jqvfedxw5kK8fB9UaE3VgKnGdu50V3KIwc_gAEx-EF7uSxsj_JMGobtHoyAhKDo1JRhknUJhJ9iWTKMCg_FFC2mJh48xapvJ9L8ISRpQyaAi6eNLkGlZVQjm-/s1600/Nussknacker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeZFbMbJDSJcgWW5Cxk6jqvfedxw5kK8fB9UaE3VgKnGdu50V3KIwc_gAEx-EF7uSxsj_JMGobtHoyAhKDo1JRhknUJhJ9iWTKMCg_FFC2mJh48xapvJ9L8ISRpQyaAi6eNLkGlZVQjm-/s640/Nussknacker.jpg" width="402" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutcracker soldiers</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrLFT4O5DAuhGf_dHK81nrirqglJSUPoriJBfDG0K51Uk6uE3oDuOopMiQLMrDK5XFmuhAWnlYWsz0xNWEHiPzQDc1Q9pbA6WrC__iDvXuRg6i4wEcG-1xVEGx-LexIQ8dOrODdb7dp3A/s1600/Baubles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrLFT4O5DAuhGf_dHK81nrirqglJSUPoriJBfDG0K51Uk6uE3oDuOopMiQLMrDK5XFmuhAWnlYWsz0xNWEHiPzQDc1Q9pbA6WrC__iDvXuRg6i4wEcG-1xVEGx-LexIQ8dOrODdb7dp3A/s400/Baubles.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baubles</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNA9yZNv0ZBYfULdQCbSekvRncV45sEKcK8RCBk-FwYV1xUg96HTZqf6WXyS0VnEUpn-63ocyMzj60Wx9MEfhmNROR10I9Ek5pZqhBSQfuc6n-NIn5cTWDRqukSxkMIU0RdCrBl4Jlnsl/s1600/Vin+chaud+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNA9yZNv0ZBYfULdQCbSekvRncV45sEKcK8RCBk-FwYV1xUg96HTZqf6WXyS0VnEUpn-63ocyMzj60Wx9MEfhmNROR10I9Ek5pZqhBSQfuc6n-NIn5cTWDRqukSxkMIU0RdCrBl4Jlnsl/s400/Vin+chaud+crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get your mulled wine here!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyfV992AovFTbPPNE4QxHB_uYYRu4QFZ_YOYjzBfIqfcdIx9FLCW4d75VBQW8dtfOxwojKtD9fwiYSoU3aVspCD4m-oN1BfYSPkVEVfHBUKzM-OY717fVK_n4Eyiwt9ORfNWkmz2unwQQ/s1600/PICT0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyfV992AovFTbPPNE4QxHB_uYYRu4QFZ_YOYjzBfIqfcdIx9FLCW4d75VBQW8dtfOxwojKtD9fwiYSoU3aVspCD4m-oN1BfYSPkVEVfHBUKzM-OY717fVK_n4Eyiwt9ORfNWkmz2unwQQ/s400/PICT0055.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely fruity soaps</td></tr>
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<br />Bougielynshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10253115073626982539noreply@blogger.com6Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-90080969079824257712011-11-23T18:45:00.000+00:002011-11-23T18:49:40.226+00:00Expat Christmas MincemeatLiving in Alsace, France, right on the border with Germany I am lucky that I can buy my food from either country. I love the selection of foods in the supermarkets in both countries, but it's only when you try to make something on the lead up to Christmas, like mince pies, that you realise just how British they are.<br />
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Firstly, you need a jar of mincemeat. Hmmm, nowhere to be found. Then you need some large round cutters to cut out the pastry. Strangely, I couldn't find them in France or Germany - only very small circles or bigger star shaped ones. I solved that problem by ordering some off Amazon UK. So, for the mincemeat issue, the only thing to do was to make my own. I decided to follow the <a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/mincemeat/home-made-christmas-mincemeat.html" target="_blank">Delia recipe</a>. So far so good. Alas, there is no suet (animal or vegetarian) available in France or Germany and also no Bramley apples! I would not let this beat me. I adapted the list of ingredients to what I had available to me as an expat and below is my Christmas Mincemeat recipe.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0NANSSJIj_gWZh9J5bBii9UTzSvndLxElDQr41JWJQkZiVh72ljqQpK4MnwRu7DhyHBtvXnxwHgcxl-R7xO7XV25Mm1eYmZrmMV9gAMg_iQ8coC_qTGjedxJUQyDoFD60Ma9i_-_MwJB/s1600/Mincemeat+ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0NANSSJIj_gWZh9J5bBii9UTzSvndLxElDQr41JWJQkZiVh72ljqQpK4MnwRu7DhyHBtvXnxwHgcxl-R7xO7XV25Mm1eYmZrmMV9gAMg_iQ8coC_qTGjedxJUQyDoFD60Ma9i_-_MwJB/s400/Mincemeat+ingredients.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cycled across the Rhine to Edeka supermarket to buy all my ingredients.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 large Belle de Boskoop apple, cored and chopped up small (sharper than most eating apples and closest to a Bramley)</li>
<li>110g of butter</li>
<li>175g Brauner Zucker (soft brown sugar doesn't seem to exist, only expensive muscavado, which you can use if you want to)</li>
<li>Grated zest and juice of one orange and one lemon</li>
<li>125g Rum Rosinen (rum soaked raisins)</li>
<li>100g Sultaninen (sultanas)</li>
<li>100g Korinthen (currants)</li>
<li>50g Aprikosen (dried apricots - chopped up small)</li>
<li>50g Cranberries (chopped)</li>
<li>100g Orangeat gewuerfelt (chopped candied peel)</li>
<li>25g Mandeln blanchiert, gestiftelt (slivered almonds)</li>
<li>2 level teaspoons of Lebkuchen Gewuerz (closest thing to allspice I could find. Apparently it does exist and is called Nelkenpfeffer)</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon</li>
<li>Generous grating of nutmeg</li>
<li>3 tablespoons of brandy (I chose Mariacron Weinbrand)</li>
</ul>
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<div>
<b>Equipment</b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObn5twCmsuuEE1PpenNmluj7qQi2bMJxUGPEEPJL7FkjlydF4wEvS8kYoGj1LEOSxC-nBG-Wk8TD6I1UjM_U1LIyI_ULPngk2RYmEvojOzA7bIw4A0i9vgiEuBBhV_MT1JojB-LqQiAYZ/s1600/Le+Parfait+jars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObn5twCmsuuEE1PpenNmluj7qQi2bMJxUGPEEPJL7FkjlydF4wEvS8kYoGj1LEOSxC-nBG-Wk8TD6I1UjM_U1LIyI_ULPngk2RYmEvojOzA7bIw4A0i9vgiEuBBhV_MT1JojB-LqQiAYZ/s400/Le+Parfait+jars.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely Le Parfait 340ml jars</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>3 350ml preserving jars (I used slightly smaller ones, but love these Le Parfait ones which I picked up in Alsace Coop for only €6 for a pack of 6)</li>
<li>A large mixing bowl</li>
<li>Mixing spoon</li>
<li>Oven proof dish </li>
<li>Silver foil</li>
<li>Grater</li>
<li>Citrus juicer</li>
<li>Zellglas (this is optional, but I cut this see-through film into circles, soaked it in some brandy then laid it on the top of my mincemeat in the jar before sealing. It is supposed to keep the contents fresher and help with preserving)</li>
</ul>
<div>
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<div>
<b>Method</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Put all of the ingredients in your large mixing bowl, except for the brandy, and stir it up really well, making sure the butter doesn't clump. Leave this mixture to soak over night. The next day, transfer the mix into your oven proof dish. Put some foil on the top and put it in the oven at 120C for 3 hours. When it comes out it will look like this:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNZKQNFXDr8lmADycaRieUTa_aY-Q4m_0nYeYhXLZkisBkTje1na8AJhZLC7OL3JGrumF5NUguqHPhNfTlFWPiLWwmsEzvN4CA3OErSBO9-xusm18JWEbbuM6efjfDtTNJMMMzdfaL_9C/s1600/Cooked+mincemeat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNZKQNFXDr8lmADycaRieUTa_aY-Q4m_0nYeYhXLZkisBkTje1na8AJhZLC7OL3JGrumF5NUguqHPhNfTlFWPiLWwmsEzvN4CA3OErSBO9-xusm18JWEbbuM6efjfDtTNJMMMzdfaL_9C/s400/Cooked+mincemeat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked mincemeat - smells fabulous!</td></tr>
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<div>
Give it a good stir and come back from time to time to stir again as it cools down. When it is cold add the brandy and stir. Take your sterilised jars (you can do this by washing them by hand then putting them in the oven at 180C for 5 minutes or if you have a dishwasher, put them on a 30 minute wash and then let them cool down) and spoon in the mincemeat, making sure to eliminate air bubbles by putting the spoon in and wiggling it around. When the jars are full, put the disc of Zellglas on the top and screw the lid tight. Pop them in the fridge or in a cool dark cupboard. They should keep for a decent length of time.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO_x7XXQ7SM22mdnbaKidHIfCAw6P2bsCa4PSK4UtirY7ix7DEr73CGfYNlULlM7ONiegAxm95i0idpNMbOuk-Bli_pi52HjH_8_yQgz2bMa3XmQtLPBho_jaIA8v-BHI5Vt2I3hUcbaq/s1600/Jars+of+mincemeat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO_x7XXQ7SM22mdnbaKidHIfCAw6P2bsCa4PSK4UtirY7ix7DEr73CGfYNlULlM7ONiegAxm95i0idpNMbOuk-Bli_pi52HjH_8_yQgz2bMa3XmQtLPBho_jaIA8v-BHI5Vt2I3hUcbaq/s400/Jars+of+mincemeat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta da! Finished jars of mincemeat. Looking forward to making mincepies now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Once I had made my mincemeat I sat down to finish my first Christmas card. What a successful festive day :)</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBio15LTbk-LBnd1WlGzo0NowADPoWShccqY0A131wI5xDhDeM1oIqffKMtlSYi1JhEHCJz0NJCGYgWTLxysRMw99KjWy15LBVTATbnYebuE3QEEQF3RMyBZOLp3Tx1XYZB6dx_2mgAZWG/s1600/Joyeux+Noel+card.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBio15LTbk-LBnd1WlGzo0NowADPoWShccqY0A131wI5xDhDeM1oIqffKMtlSYi1JhEHCJz0NJCGYgWTLxysRMw99KjWy15LBVTATbnYebuE3QEEQF3RMyBZOLp3Tx1XYZB6dx_2mgAZWG/s320/Joyeux+Noel+card.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joyeux Noel!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-42296921381520711082011-11-19T15:38:00.001+00:002011-11-19T15:51:10.876+00:00Beetroot and BabuschkaI had a busy evening yesterday and feel proud of myself for not only successfully following Carluccio's beetroot bake <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beetroot_layer_cake_55402" target="_blank">recipe</a>, but also finishing this Russian doll covered note book. Another homemade Christmas present ticked off my list!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPiLj5JwDh0y89YUP__4KEMszy9UdhHtXFSgvn2FH3MFTSt_eyIFXH7aVpE13nyhyphenhyphenJMEpWU4QxqQqO530YwURQcqXF-ipW-OBcvlRyMqsp7Yofjqsj_7kfafgWzGL6IQRkMh1t21CzmvC/s1600/PICT0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPiLj5JwDh0y89YUP__4KEMszy9UdhHtXFSgvn2FH3MFTSt_eyIFXH7aVpE13nyhyphenhyphenJMEpWU4QxqQqO530YwURQcqXF-ipW-OBcvlRyMqsp7Yofjqsj_7kfafgWzGL6IQRkMh1t21CzmvC/s400/PICT0005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious, pink dinner!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJZfcXyCGGsQxc2SZrmyQiEnuf_LpHZwJUHcSE0wON3bX4ND4DZmp6nQsi3tMf4A66noLrOHcd0EYIz0mOOinCHmIxJ-3_5Oop7tsJwSnXemH70HtR7CKKPuv5IAfQmG2p6mqGCs2pXbE/s1600/PICT0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJZfcXyCGGsQxc2SZrmyQiEnuf_LpHZwJUHcSE0wON3bX4ND4DZmp6nQsi3tMf4A66noLrOHcd0EYIz0mOOinCHmIxJ-3_5Oop7tsJwSnXemH70HtR7CKKPuv5IAfQmG2p6mqGCs2pXbE/s400/PICT0007.JPG" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric covered notebook with ribbon-button embellishment</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQJ5hpAVPOVHSOgTg8rPA_D9XuJJLDIRwsXNC-oNLaatNKGkW4zRRr4OC0XzqkbnD824MKaeoYAtY-i-G_ZRM-8aoYSbSnPskjys9NDnYZmDgQPZF7jC9w0nCtCbCMNol7y9jmbCJZZNC/s1600/PICT0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQJ5hpAVPOVHSOgTg8rPA_D9XuJJLDIRwsXNC-oNLaatNKGkW4zRRr4OC0XzqkbnD824MKaeoYAtY-i-G_ZRM-8aoYSbSnPskjys9NDnYZmDgQPZF7jC9w0nCtCbCMNol7y9jmbCJZZNC/s400/PICT0009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised inside cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-61657190547618213922011-11-18T00:00:00.000+00:002011-11-18T00:10:05.917+00:00An afternoon of Art Nouveau<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic1S6_ogPbtgq6s5HaBFaUUFDQoP9Ekgg4on-0FAsA8KqrlTIjyrGYfsvkp8Mw7vEP1iHF2VNMVkhYdImfPfCe5q-ZXdghyUMy0p_HASjed3CAVlRqHS4FnIY2jeJ5i1-MI94qucbkgLx/s1600/PICT0428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic1S6_ogPbtgq6s5HaBFaUUFDQoP9Ekgg4on-0FAsA8KqrlTIjyrGYfsvkp8Mw7vEP1iHF2VNMVkhYdImfPfCe5q-ZXdghyUMy0p_HASjed3CAVlRqHS4FnIY2jeJ5i1-MI94qucbkgLx/s400/PICT0428.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I dream of having one of these glass lamps in my home!</td></tr>
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<div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau" target="_blank">Art Nouveau</a> , Jugendstil, Stile Liberty - whatever you want to call it, this is the one art movement that really delights me. My love affair with Art Nouveau started back in 1995 when I was working on my GCSE Art coursework. I went up to London to the V&A and was instantly amazed by the beautiful collection of Art Nouveau silver and pewter wear. I used this as inspiration for a clay mirror frame in an Art Nouveau style. Ever since then, Art Nouveau has been my one and only passion in life. I don't know why I love it so much, but just looking at a piece of Art Nouveau furniture, silver wear, jewellery or a painting, fills me with joy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilD2MtFmn-bai9ibAftkK28R7g1RE3Eeq5tEJCc3NFlbdUNtY2Ad7P8NrSxWbRhfOkfgWKwNyLdHw1hDJn7hkkYGr6McfECpIRnNzNrj5DbWZbMPdUdlaeB7wlCnpH8G6yb_jUHqbCZ0aK/s1600/PICT0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilD2MtFmn-bai9ibAftkK28R7g1RE3Eeq5tEJCc3NFlbdUNtY2Ad7P8NrSxWbRhfOkfgWKwNyLdHw1hDJn7hkkYGr6McfECpIRnNzNrj5DbWZbMPdUdlaeB7wlCnpH8G6yb_jUHqbCZ0aK/s320/PICT0431.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I think it is something about the sweeping lines and decorative elements, which at the same time are able to look simple, clean and beautiful. I also like the fact that Art Nouveau rarely uses expensive materials. I have always preferred silver to gold, and a piece of oak furniture with copper hinges and handles looks far more beautiful to me than a piece of ornately carved mahogany.</div>
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When I was flicking through one of my Art Nouveau books the other day, I was excited to discover that one of my favourite pieces by my favourite artist, <a href="http://www.muchafoundation.org/MHome.aspx" target="_blank">Alphonse Mucha</a>, is on display at the <a href="http://www.landesmuseum.de/website/" target="_blank">Badisches Landesmuseum</a> in Karlsruhe (along with many other beautiful items). Luckily, that is only an hour's drive from where I live, so we popped over the border into Germany for the afternoon. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8Fb-YkqeDNdtFRhTNumfajTyeTpuXj_Fu3k1W4BGE0Nrd0ulUDmbrcluBKgaUlWqCTbjiREqhvjbaMeCaqNGzYBFwepjWX-sB104ko2Z7-shQwUOSq8NEo0yI7erh7Sep6PC7Gpkf_mH/s1600/nature+mucha+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8Fb-YkqeDNdtFRhTNumfajTyeTpuXj_Fu3k1W4BGE0Nrd0ulUDmbrcluBKgaUlWqCTbjiREqhvjbaMeCaqNGzYBFwepjWX-sB104ko2Z7-shQwUOSq8NEo0yI7erh7Sep6PC7Gpkf_mH/s640/nature+mucha+closeup.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"La Nature" by Alphonse Mucha, 1900.</td></tr>
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There it is! The fabulous bronze bust, which is purported to be of Sarah Bernhardt. I had seen several photos of this work: "La Nature" in books, but never in the flesh, so to speak (and she does show quite a lot of flesh!). It really does look beautiful up close.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU10fUH38fVE_iNZpGF35BCLPeADhd1vanQJsrdAArmVyTSkamWAVpld0JmZRxaaXZSK7PxKh6ANcmJTOifw6nZzLnH2ZKaI6NOQ2NYqiU9B9un62wQByOtF41dAJAP9ZQPuAaWY5KkYkn/s1600/nature+mucha+side+crop+bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU10fUH38fVE_iNZpGF35BCLPeADhd1vanQJsrdAArmVyTSkamWAVpld0JmZRxaaXZSK7PxKh6ANcmJTOifw6nZzLnH2ZKaI6NOQ2NYqiU9B9un62wQByOtF41dAJAP9ZQPuAaWY5KkYkn/s400/nature+mucha+side+crop+bw.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the flow of her hair and the head piece.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBPphbGEN9axuLwKB5Uu1RpXlW-PEals4t4jCYrzVJUXo8smpQfjpyKaS9f4pyHz52UPJCIPr7G2MIlRqLYOwTRylqIwapVFYkEFBDQ9cJUeoFuZ4DD1mougnIw7-WJACsTXVj2IL3DY4/s1600/nature+mucha+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBPphbGEN9axuLwKB5Uu1RpXlW-PEals4t4jCYrzVJUXo8smpQfjpyKaS9f4pyHz52UPJCIPr7G2MIlRqLYOwTRylqIwapVFYkEFBDQ9cJUeoFuZ4DD1mougnIw7-WJACsTXVj2IL3DY4/s640/nature+mucha+crop.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently there are several versions of this sculpture. I like the petrol effect of her skin in this one.</td></tr>
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I wasn't allowed to use flash in the museum, but I hope my photos will give you an impression of this fabulous work by Alphonse Mucha and maybe entice you to discover Art Nouveau for yourself.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAUctZeUn9rl_82LADjSEJ9j6-CRyCf13sr9Fdkku45pG2cJ6eCnB69EmNWSK8cvcqATHT31BY4f81hHztk3wgRUSTq0cMx6zEUiEhYPPt-cucTThZR6nXXFJKUWZWhgpF92V6IDZHoLY/s1600/PICT0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAUctZeUn9rl_82LADjSEJ9j6-CRyCf13sr9Fdkku45pG2cJ6eCnB69EmNWSK8cvcqATHT31BY4f81hHztk3wgRUSTq0cMx6zEUiEhYPPt-cucTThZR6nXXFJKUWZWhgpF92V6IDZHoLY/s400/PICT0436.JPG" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I plan to have an Art Nouveau room in my home one day :)</td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Karlsruhe, Germany49.0080848 8.403756348.924760299999996 8.2458277999999989 49.0914093 8.5616848tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-54252298493310555082011-11-09T00:33:00.000+00:002011-11-09T00:33:56.425+00:00How to avoid craft blogging turning into blog crafting?I started this blog last month as I felt that sharing the odd photo on Facebook with friends wasn't really the best way to talk about and display my crafted items. I wanted to share the things I make with the crafting community and also meet like-minded people online, pick up some tips and find inspiration for new projects.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvR8TiZaR4c9dG19z6Z_S7Wui4PuVKwxdCChakjDCxiDEoWUbcU0mwbULJouaFjPjzhaIVESql8QS_4RcYrgbPib5lrOhdDJ_qyHmEpw2Xsgc_0Gwq2sGQAos5Xu6J1BGdDXI9BGKc6SMF/s1600/sewing+machine+vintage+image+graphicsfairy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvR8TiZaR4c9dG19z6Z_S7Wui4PuVKwxdCChakjDCxiDEoWUbcU0mwbULJouaFjPjzhaIVESql8QS_4RcYrgbPib5lrOhdDJ_qyHmEpw2Xsgc_0Gwq2sGQAos5Xu6J1BGdDXI9BGKc6SMF/s320/sewing+machine+vintage+image+graphicsfairy2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So far, I feel I am getting all of those things, but I feel like the blogging is starting to interfere with the crafting. I feel like making something, but then realise I need to take photos if I want to do a tutorial or have some sort of story (it seems a bit dull just to post a picture of a finished item and say "ta-dah!"). My camera is not very good and the lighting in my apartment is terrible (especially with it getting dark so early now), so it takes forever to set the shot up and get it to look good. Once evening sets in, I don't feel like being creative and I also think that the photos would turn out really badly, so I end up putting my making off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsXlENxoGDf8u53zXkeUqe3-m8ilKXmnWM-xspSYHTVWdYdEjqzjgnuWkdnGV9m026-Hoz8MWCv2A9IuoLkCighd66D2XJc_LncVRHehMfqEyJvu9q1RzFaenTM1_XVYbqrIsgwRqTHi4/s1600/1edisonslamp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsXlENxoGDf8u53zXkeUqe3-m8ilKXmnWM-xspSYHTVWdYdEjqzjgnuWkdnGV9m026-Hoz8MWCv2A9IuoLkCighd66D2XJc_LncVRHehMfqEyJvu9q1RzFaenTM1_XVYbqrIsgwRqTHi4/s320/1edisonslamp.gif" width="221" /></a></div>
I didn't realise how much time blogging would take up. It's not just the blogging and photos either, its all the tweeting to try and generate interest (after all, what's the point of spending time blogging about all my lovely makes if nobody ever reads it?). I also want to make new contacts, so I spend time reading and commenting on other people's blogs. Nice as it is, all of this takes time away from the crafting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdNpLrDTUB_q9B9I_3xUBtJZLNG3mqNqseaHDChs9I8bwyCk18vre4ZUVdJVmUF70WctmL0eJkjq3UZzT5KfCROWwCyiGCc3vYCTaCTeYL8CynnP4XrNukINcWgbWv8pskdzRIw3E_xc-/s1600/1apocketwatchgfairy005b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdNpLrDTUB_q9B9I_3xUBtJZLNG3mqNqseaHDChs9I8bwyCk18vre4ZUVdJVmUF70WctmL0eJkjq3UZzT5KfCROWwCyiGCc3vYCTaCTeYL8CynnP4XrNukINcWgbWv8pskdzRIw3E_xc-/s320/1apocketwatchgfairy005b.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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I started another blog over 18 months ago when we moved from London to Strasbourg and was going to update everyone on our new life here in France and put up trials and tribulations with wondrous photos, but after just a few weeks I found I was too busy living it to blog about it. The travel blog now sits forlornly with only the start of a story and I can't pick the thread up again now, as too much time has gone by and way too many things have happened.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPwlUlOMLZvLI03dVDK2pknXuqz8yVFOqB7ts2H1yXEKQsEEyDd3xgMJ6IUXKp16jj_mq_8lWNcCUjpLNQ74slbYNXx5WjDY5SPywFNt3S2vTa3AsVcFmp-wdEx-TJOpSFdaDlcmyipMj/s1600/mapworld-graphicsfairy009sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPwlUlOMLZvLI03dVDK2pknXuqz8yVFOqB7ts2H1yXEKQsEEyDd3xgMJ6IUXKp16jj_mq_8lWNcCUjpLNQ74slbYNXx5WjDY5SPywFNt3S2vTa3AsVcFmp-wdEx-TJOpSFdaDlcmyipMj/s320/mapworld-graphicsfairy009sm.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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So how to strike a happy balance? How do I stay focused on the crafting and enjoy the sharing without the latter taking over? Answers on a postcard, please :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqvznia5kh7H1iNzflKcohz5G-MR7M4rj1hrejeI_YUS_nCKUcEkOWof1UmGJmixKR5CaY0EUmfiFXyj4nxCFG62mAl-4_hRwMLLDdY4iuZL75R7ppWIBgQRAbl_OlfRFC7w0QOLEk0lj/s1600/1a-parispostcard-graphicsfairy010white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqvznia5kh7H1iNzflKcohz5G-MR7M4rj1hrejeI_YUS_nCKUcEkOWof1UmGJmixKR5CaY0EUmfiFXyj4nxCFG62mAl-4_hRwMLLDdY4iuZL75R7ppWIBgQRAbl_OlfRFC7w0QOLEk0lj/s400/1a-parispostcard-graphicsfairy010white.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Vintage clipart from the fabulous <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/">http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-47286530219879362892011-11-02T17:08:00.000+00:002011-11-02T17:08:55.602+00:00Party hair band<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you are looking for a stocking filler for a young girl, or something for your little princess to wear in her hair during the Christmas party season, here is a quick, cheap and easy crafty make for you!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWXl4ltJg1fP74QbkqboeNv5W_IoFkbKErzW_Ua1doeyWieOY2C1H0F6f-xiSBou5OIXp8OnMnG9_Hpk47APaamlLYVJlhTTk4GLr1kJvC1sKUjQM764vVo5VA_NxvGb18CPCKCBRSgeK/s1600/ribbon+band+pink+closeup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWXl4ltJg1fP74QbkqboeNv5W_IoFkbKErzW_Ua1doeyWieOY2C1H0F6f-xiSBou5OIXp8OnMnG9_Hpk47APaamlLYVJlhTTk4GLr1kJvC1sKUjQM764vVo5VA_NxvGb18CPCKCBRSgeK/s400/ribbon+band+pink+closeup.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>All you need is:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>a plain elasticated hair band</li>
<li>some pieces of ribbon about 15cm long (if they are recycled then so much the better!)</li>
<li>a pearl or large bead</li>
<li>2 beads with large holes through the center (I used two plastic, glittery star shaped beads)</li>
<li>a short length of thread</li>
<li>a small piece of felt</li>
<li>a pair of scissors</li>
<li>hot glue gun or strong glue</li>
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<b>How to make the party hair band:</b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Take the lengths of ribbon and bunch them together with the pieces lying at different angles, crossing in the centre. </li>
<li>Use one length of ribbon to tie a knot around the middle of your bunch to secure in place. Leave the ends of this ribbon long and use them to then tie the bundle of ribbons to the hair band. Cut the ends or incorporate them into the ribbon bundle if you prefer.</li>
<li>Thread the beads with large centre holes onto the ends of a couple of the ribbons and knot above the bead to secure into place.</li>
<li>Thread the pearl or large bead onto some thread and tie it around the ribbon bundle and hair band so that it sits in the centre of the ribbon bundle. Knot it securely in place at the back.</li>
<li>Cut a small piece of felt into a rectangle, round the ends using scissors and then pinching the ribbon bundle to push the ribbon ends upwards and inwards to surround the pearl, glue the felt in place on the back of the bundle of ribbons. This will cover the thread and knots and secure the decorative part to the hair band (see photos below).</li>
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Voil<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">à</span>! A pretty hair decoration for any discerning young lady ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS2-Fr6bTTrUCyaIwLEdo1y6eMafp_pHkm3LNAeSiqvUXxlndH7lzSCjptMIj2NayYOABXF4A573v3D4Ey7oVbLWO2H1AM_cwKeSY0aWOxOn6RLjxyX94chyphenhyphenwq9V_g7EoKTaa7_WDvnjB/s1600/ribbon+band+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS2-Fr6bTTrUCyaIwLEdo1y6eMafp_pHkm3LNAeSiqvUXxlndH7lzSCjptMIj2NayYOABXF4A573v3D4Ey7oVbLWO2H1AM_cwKeSY0aWOxOn6RLjxyX94chyphenhyphenwq9V_g7EoKTaa7_WDvnjB/s320/ribbon+band+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made this as a small gift for my 11 year old niece for Christmas. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-align: left;">All the ribbons are from my ribbon store, collected from boxes of chocolates, clothing tags etc. You could make it more festive by using red, green and gold ribbons and adding small bells or choose ribbons that match a party outfit. I would love to see your creations if you decide to have a go!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242769367363390189.post-50946796848173436252011-10-31T14:54:00.000+00:002011-10-31T14:54:29.127+00:00Strasbourg sunset triptychIt is always difficult to think of gifts for my Dad, and even more so because his birthday is right before Christmas. This year, I am on a homemade trip and have decided that pretty much all presents will be made by me and am even roping the boyf in to make some culinary xmas goodies for family! What to make for my Dad, though? I took some inspiration from Lucy over at <a href="http://makedoandblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/dads-christmas-present-done.html">Make Do and Blog</a> and went with a unique oeuvre d'art.<br />
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This is the view from my balcony (lucky, huh?) and I will really miss it when we move back to the UK in a few weeks time.<br />
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On a bright, clear day you can see the Vosges mountains in the distance. Today is heavy fog, so not much of a view at all! I thought it would lend itself well to a triptych.<br />
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I bought a set of mini 7cm x 7cm canvasses at the local supermarket the other day and also some very reasonably priced acrylic paints and had a go last night at my first ever acrylic painting.<br />
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It wasn't easy to get the dark foreground to make it look like dusk, but the sky was fairly straightforward. Not having ever been taught how to paint, I didn't use any particular technique, just went for it!<br />
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The bumpy canvas wasn't that easy to paint on, but I got used to it after a bit.<br />
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Above is the third canvas with Strasbourg cathedral spire in it. There are fabulous views to be had if you want to climb the narrow, stone, spiral stairs to the rooftop.<br />
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I am pretty pleased with my final effort (difficult to stop fiddling with it!) and think it will make a nice little present for my Dad :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Strasbourg, France48.583148 7.74788248.499114500000005 7.5899535 48.6671815 7.9058104999999994