Made of WIN!!!1

I really can't remember the last time I won anything, so imagine my amazement when my name was drawn out of the ceramic bowl in the Posh Yarns give away! 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.

Beautifully wrapped - will reuse the ribbon and button :)

My key fob prize - guaranteed to bring a smile to your face

So dainty and beautifully stitched, too.

Rebecca sells these lovely key fobs along with other gorgeous things in her online shop. 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!

Fimo, coral and wooden bead necklace with charms

After a creative slump during the last week or so, I finally got myself into gear and made the long necklace I have been planning.

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.

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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.

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 :)

1980s nostalgia

Last 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 one I did for my Dad went down really well, but in the end I plumped for a bracelet. I'm pleased with the final result.

Family memories - 1980.

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, La Droguerie (if you are ever in a French city that has one - go there!) and they refer to them as loups. 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.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there!

Craft room showcase

I 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:

Blank canvas.

View from the window - a balloon floats by :)

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. Judi has an amazing craft studio in her garden with an array of storage and the best stock of craft supplies I have ever seen!

I want this! Photo courtesy of Judi Hodgkin

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 Nimble Fingers and Steady Eyebrows blogged about her craft attic space:

Photo courtesy of Laura via: A corner of one's own   

I love the retro sewing machine and cute little personal touches used.

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.

A tranquil corner

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.

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 ;)

Happy linking and don't forget to tweet about this post!

Sweetie Geeky Valentine's Day

It's been a while since I last did a craft blog post, this is because I was in the middle of moving to the Czech Republic. 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.

Coloured card, scissors and sweeties.

In less than half an hour I turned my bits and bobs into this unique, partly-edible card:

Nom, nom, nom.

Message inside.

I didn't make a present, but I did the next best thing for my cuddly toy and Linux-loving boyfriend - a giant Tux! He was thrilled with him!

Daddy Tux with baby Tux - IT geek cuteness.

He weighs a ton and I had fun riding home on the tram with him :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bag a crafty charity bargain!

I went out to the post office in my local village yesterday afternoon and found these gorgeous RSPB pin badges 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.

Goldcrest, great tit and chaffinch pins

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.

Here are my top charity crafty picks to start 2012 with a warm and fuzzy feeling:

Notebook: via Marie Curie

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.

Gift wrap pack: via Marie Curie

Gorgeous paper, tissue, tags and cards currently at a reduced price for presenting your handmade gifts.

Sewing Box: via Marie Curie

Store your sewing essentials for a bargainous £5! Sew cute ;)

Button Box: via Cancer Research

Do you use buttons in your crafting? Grab a bargain while you can!

The Cancer Research online shop was the best place I found for crafting supplies and the following are all currently reduced in the January 2012 sale:

Red retrospot tape: via Cancer Research

Empire Ribbons: via Cancer Research

Happy Birthday stamp set: via Cancer Research

If stitching is your thing, then cruise over to the British Red Cross shop to pick up this reduced kit:

LOVE letters tapestry kit: via British Red Cross

And finally, in case you need to be doing textiles crafting on the go, this adorable Magic Stitch Cordless Sewing Machine is currently £5 off in the RNLI sale.

Happy January sale shopping! If you come across any other charity crafting bargain buys, please share them in the comments below.

Christmas crafting bonanza

As 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 :)

Let the Christmas present showcase commence!

Fabric covered notebook for my niece.

Fimo covered festive spoon and charms.

A joint effort with my boyf: pear vodka and winter spice liqueur for all the men folk.

Cross stitched card for my parents.

Decorated jar of handmade mincemeat for my French friend.

Handmade bracelet with charms for boyf's sister-in-law

Handmade earrings from recycled beads for boyf's sister.

Ribbon hairband for my niece.

Sewing case for my friend.

I really enjoyed doing all the hand sewing. This Russian doll kit was inspired
by  Flossie Teacakes needlecase tutorial.

Personalised cross stitch space invaders purse for another niece. Made from all recycled materials.

My friend Rob pointed me in the direction of this great idea 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.

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.

I really enjoyed making all my presents this year and will definitely do it again if I have the time.