Long awaited update...

Okay so I've missed a month of blogging because school has been so busy...this is going to be a full update with pleanty of lovely piccies to keep you all happy. Firstly, I have been hoarding stuff to paint up now that I have lost my painter's block...I have some cute red bags that i found in charity stores that I am decorating to sell (possibly)...

I have also been doing lots of work at school...I finally got my head around the weird lazer cutter and have tamed it into doing what I want...

These have just been finished today...I have some more coming but they will have to wait until after I go back to school on April 20th.

For Mothering Sunday I helped my Mum set up her own blog for her embroidery work...Thankfully Blogger is so easy to use...My Mum is one of my main inspirations for the work I do so please go check her work out, I have always loved it!

I just received agreat pack of freebee business cards in the post from VISTAPRINT.COM and am really pleased with how they look...I love VISTAPRINT because their service is so professional-looking!

Some more projects that started at school are my new sticker designs that I have put onto brown card ringbinder folders. The vinyl cutter is so easy to use and all the imagery is based in 2D design (which I am now a full whizz at using!) I have some more ideas too but they will have to wait for the term to start again.

I am contemplating buying myself one of these machines...I'm just not 100% sure if I'd use it enough to make it value for money???

Just a shot of the transfer tape used to put the vinyl onto the folders.

Aren't they cute? I can't wait to use them for something- dunno what yet?

These are more blanks for the lolly pen toppers I'm making over on http://www.kickass-peanut.com/, lots of painting to do here...

I also managed to finish my make of the year 9 clock/frame/mirror project. I have taken over teaching this group now and feel better that I have finished the make for myself first. Some of the kids seemed to be impressed so I think I'm doing OK.

Now that I'm on friend terms with the laser cutter I managed to sort out the key ruler I wanted to make too....however this cutter isn't as sensitive as the one in my last school so I may have to pay them a visit...

Some other things I want to get done over the Easter break are my customised shirts...I finally got myself some of the gorgeous RRH fabric and can't wait to get started using it.

On a random note...how cute are these party bags from TESCO! I LOVE THEM! Great for making little gifts that bit more special- they look especially good tied with raffia and with brown paper labels. Sticking with the spots...My collection of cute mushroom items for turning my bedroom into a woodland theme is slowly growing...I bought these little cuties in Conwy when we went to visit my sister a few weeks ago. The plastic mushroom is a night light!!!

I have also gotten some amazing swaps recently (despite being on a swapping break due to a hectic schedule) These have absolutely made my month!!! Look at this RRH matchbox I received!

And another swap partner bought me this phone charm as part of a one week profile bliss swap, she also handmade a RRH tin that is GORGEOUS!

There were also some cute Alice in Wonderland covered buttons...I HAVE to find something nice to put them on!

My new arm warmers that I bought in Hereford the other week when I let my partner drive me there to see family...I hadn't had chance to wear them until this week when we went for a drive to some local castles and Tenby.

We just missed the last entry to carew Castle...I haven't been in here since I was in Primary school so we are definately going to go back soon!

When we got home I started planting my seeds...I'm determined to ressurect my poorly vegetable and herb garden so used my numerous egg cases to plant seeds indoors (avoiding the tempermental weather)

Then somebody decided to help me...

Isn't he turning into a little stunner! I think he's a bit of a poser whenever I get the camera out!

Then he decided to be silly and climb into his 'Spaceship' (Otherwise known as my washing machine!)

*PHEW* so that's the update so far......I have more to add but I will wait until I finish those red bags off and the RRH items that I'm working on.

HAPPY EASTER!

Red Riding Hood and Mushroom Obsession

So as you can see...I've been a bit busy this weekend making Red Riding Hood and Mushroomy items...My craving for Decole has gotten so bad I've had to resort to making my own!

These were some old wooden-topped jars I pinched from my mum's kitchen, I re-decorated them as the tops were PERFECT for muchrooms! The cutlery I got from Oxfam and I decided they needed a bit of sprucing up too!

This is a handpainted necklace pendant that I can't wait to string up and wear! This is SO going to school with me on Monday!

I have been trying to get hold of this Decole ruler for AGES but instead I have made my own version in 2D Design (above) and I can laser cut it on 3mm Ply when I'm back in school...yay for well-equipped departments!

I'm also planning on making myself some other wooden decole-like items now I'm nifty with Techsoft 2D Design...

On the Red Riding Hood theme still...I bought some cheap Pumps from Primark yesterday and really wanted to do them up so I painted them and replaced the laces with ribbon....top pic is them in progress and bottom pic finished (with the cute little blackbird toy I found in a charity shop this morning sitting comfortably on top!)

In Progress...

FINISHED!!! Don't they look cool?!

I also wanted to make my first SHOUT-OUT to Loveanda sandwich from deviantart :

http://loveandasandwich.deviantart.com/

Her AWESOME Yeti Plushies inspired me to make this diary cover so that I never lose it!

Well, that's all for now folks, I've got some Swap-botting to do and Lesson plans to write!

Toodlepip!

Somebody isn't impressed with the cold weather!
Ok so no updates for a few days as I have been busy sorting out my website and things. So on the 28th December I went to the Antiques fair and Flea market at the showground, A lot of nice stuff was way overpriced but I did come away with a few bargains. I got a lovely old wooden box for £5 that I am going to line with pretty fabric and make my sewing box. I also got this cool album for £5 and the great thing is it's EMPTY so I'm going to use it as a sketchbook/notebook/contextual Journal as my other one is completely full.
I also managed to get some old keys that will make lovely jewellery!
If anyone has any old keys like these that they don't want I'd be happy to take them off your hands...email me at hannahbt85@hotmail.com if you think I might be interested in anything you have.

As promised here are some images of the MFD necklaces and Pendants that I have been working on...I was putting them all on Ribbon for photographs but might put them on chains as they are sturdier and the ribbon keeps slipping through the gap in the jump rings. I don't actually have any sort of set-up for selling my MFD products as yet, I'm considering Etsy or maybe even doing an alternate page to my exitsing website shop...not sure yet...

6mm Ply engraved and cut....I want to make these into brooches

Alice in wonderland themed...

Red Riding Hood Bracelet "There's a wolf at the door, are you going to let him in?"

I like the frosted acrylic best of all as it has an eerie appearance

So anyway, off to get some more work done and more of my assignment written....Pedagogic theories give me headache....

Bye for now xx

The town of Books

Well, winter has set in hard this week, we have had a hint of a white Christmas but it didn't last....only the black ice did! My partner and I took a drive to see family in Hereford and stopped off at the town of books (Hay-on-Wye) on the way to continue my hunt for appropriately cheap and old-looking books for the clock project.

There were some lovely books in the marquee but they were REALLY expensive!!! I think I'll stick with the 25p each or 5 for £1 Salvation Army shop in Carmarthen!!!

The honesty bookshop at the castle wasn't bad but the frost had stuck most of them together...

I really liked some more books in another shop but they were over £12 each!!! I really think my 15 books for £3 at the charity shop back in Carmarthen was an absolute STEAL compared to these!!! I got so many books that are PERFECT for making into clocks...I have 2 old copies of Pride and prejudice and a really pretty copy of Wuthering Heights with gold inlay writing!

The first book I made into a clock though, was this really old Welsh Hymn book- it looks so vintage!

I'm off to enjoy my birthday cake and finish reading one of my birthday presents!....happy boxing day everyone

xxx

Laser-Cut Acrylic Rings

While stocking up my stand at the Aberystwyth Christmas Craft Fair the other day, I noticed these quirky 'Soop-Group' rings in the gift shop. I really wanted some but they were a bit too pricey for my purse (pre-university bursary). If I didn't have to spend my crucial pennies on petrol, I would have bought some (£6 per ring), but as I needed to get home a little more than I needed accessories, I decided to have a go myself with the scraps of acrylic at school...(they were only going to be thrown out until I decided to start using them for smaller projects)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/soop
These were the originals that inspired me- you can buy them in their etsy shop, this one is part of the 'enchanted forest' range.

Okay so, before we go ahead, let me put a little disclaimer...these designs are in NO WAY my idea, nor am I 'ripping them off' to make a profit, I have merely made some for my own amusement from FREE scraps as I couldn't afford to buy myself some, they are for self-indulgence purposes ONLY. All credit for the design goes to The Soop Group....although I have seen this done with silver rings somewhere before and I can't, for the life of me, remember who made them!




The ones on the far right are the same as the ones I wanted to buy and the three designs on the left are my own. Two of them are enchanted castles and the middle one is an Alice-in-Wonderland tea party theme, with a jug, teapot and teacup.

I want to try some bracelet/Napkin Ring versions to brighten up my dinner table...maybe after christmas, I have some cool design ideas in mind....

Keep Crafting! xxx

Book Hunts and Brie

Hello there all,
First of all, let me say the Chrismas bug has finally bitten me.....mostly because of the lovely day I had yesterday...that started with SNOW! Having finished my PGCE course/school placement for the year ( I start back on Jan 11th-whoopee!) I have decided to get on with the hundreds and thousands of things I want to make and do, starting with this amazing-looking 'antique' book-clock from Disney over at Ruffles and Stuff. ( I have spent HOURS looking through her wonderful Blog!) http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2009/11/time-for-good-book.html

So, first task of the day was so nosey my way through the charity shops in town looking for some old-looking books to cut up...just one tiiiiny snag though...when I visited the book stall in the market, all the lovely-looking, battered, old books were ones I would rather read!!!

I bought all of the above for less than £10! The titles are: 'Costume' by James Laver (1963), 'Sweet Witch: A tale of smuggling in the time of Scarlet Capes & the Red Tricorne' by Richard Llewellyn (1955), 'The Wide Wide World' by Elizabeth Wetherell (No date), 'The hound of death and other stories' by Agatha Christie (1933), 'Parables from Nature' by Margaret Gatty (1921), 'The story of a red deer' by J.W.Fortescue (1898)- this one has some flowers pressed in the front of it and tissue sheets covering the illustrations (it's too lovely to cut up!), 'Among the forest people' by Clara D.Pierson (1898) and finally 'The Lady of the Lake' by Sir Walter Scott,(I'm not sure of the date in this one) I started reading this last night and got most of the way through 'the chase' and found it breathtaking!

I also found this one second-hand in OXFAM....apart from the tea-stain it is practically new and has some really interesting superstitions in it!

I had a lovely surprise in one of the charity shops I visited, there were these lovely Victoria Plum curtains which were only £2 -So I bought them to make up some bags and maybe line a cape with. They are from a very thick fabric so would be lovely and strong as a bag! As soon as I saw them I remembered that my Aunt used to have a doll of Victoria Plum and I used to be fascinated with it because she kept it mint in the box and I was never allowed to play with it... anyway...so cute!

After all my nifty-thrifty shopping I decided to try a sandwich from the new Delicatessen on King St. I have bought loads of their amazing cupcakes but never browsed the rest of the store. They had a chiller full of paninis and one that caught my eye was the salami, Brie and sun-kissed cherry tomatoes...so I decided to give it a go as I was starving by now!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOW! I swear that was the best toasted panini I have EVER had!!! They also had some lovely Spanish chocolate bars so I thought I'd try one of those too...OMNOMNOM, Christmas presents decided! *Reminds me I haven't watched 'Chocolat' for aaaaaaaages- must do today*

Oh, by the way, the Deli is called 'Blasus' (Welsh for 'Tasty') I must remember to get one of their calico shopping bags next time I go in too....

All-in-all, I had a very inspiring day and the lovely couple at 'Blasus' teamed with the beginnings of snow just broke the ice and let the Christmas feeling in- so if you saw a weird-looking girl, with more books than she could carry smiling in the street yesterday, that was me!

Love to all xxx