Kits are good projects when travelling

And this is why- I'm down visiting my family which means living out of bags.  It also means that it is much trickier to do some crafts as bringing all the tools, glues etc, isn't ideal even if you are not limited by space (apart from what can fit in the car of course!).
So choosing what to bring requires careful consideration.  Knitting can be good- throw the project, pattern and maybe a spare ball of wool (or two- depends on your speed and length of the trip!) and you are good to go.  But whatever you do, don't take the cable blanket that you are working on with you and leave that little cable needle on your coffee table at home... ask me how I know... *sigh*

Since I was without a certain knitting project to work on (well at least until I can get to the shops), I dug out one of the kits that I had thrown into my 'things to do' bag that had been in the cupboard for a while.  A day later and I have a new pretty shiny bracelet (bought from the Bead Shack yonks ago).  Being a kit, it had all the things needed- the only thing I needed was a pair of scissors and I always have a pair in my knitting project bag.  It would even be useful if you are flying (well provided you threw it into your checked bag).

I have one other beading kit in the bag I might get to (it's a necklace so it will take a little longer).  Or I will have to dig through my bag for what else is in there after I get back from the shops.  Seems I need to get myself a cable needle, you see...

Playing with stamps and glossy card

Guess what!  I've had a chance to finish some craft projects so you get two posts this month.

First up, a beading project that I have had in the queue for some time.  When I finished another project (topic of a future post) I wanted a quick job so I got the beads out.  This is a cute little kit from The Bead Shack, and not a bad price (particularly if you get it when the shop had a sale, as I did).

It comes in a few different colour options and is simple enough that if you wanted to give beading a try and like the look, this would be a good project to go for.

The other thing I've been doing is playing with some stamps that I got from my local Craft Alive, a region craft fair that is in various cities around Australia's eastern states (and SA- I'm never sure if you guys are counted as an eastern state or not!).  I can't speak for all of them, but they are a nice change when the only craft places you can visit locally are Spotlight and Lincraft. While there, I saw the amazing examples at the Eclectic Images stall and did more than a little bit of shopping...

I needed to make something for an exchange with some fellow Discworld fans.  After sifting through about 5 different ideas, I settled on a postcard from XXXX since it let me play with my new stamps and inking onto glossy card to decorate them.  While the top left is dreadful (it was my first and I learnt a lot of what NOT to do with it) I'm fairly pleased with the other three I have ready to go.

The skys are a bit to blobby, but I think that was in part because I was trying to improvise with whatever tools I could scrounge up.  Now I have an idea of what is needed, I can go and get some brushes that will work the way I need to.  I've still got a few more to make before I can post my cards, so I'll show a few more in the next week or so, I hope.  I may also add  something more to the front, so they may appear again.

(note- all the links are just so you can check out the pages if you are interested.  Sadly I am not a big time blogger and the only payment I get is the odd comment that people make- the nice ones, not the spam, mind you!)

I (still) aint dead

Phew, usual long time no post deal.  Work continues to be busy, oh and since I last posted I also moved house!

Anyway, this is just a short update of a few bits and bobs that I finished relatively recently.

Number one, my new craft desk.  Still a work in progress as far as setting things up, but it's nice to have a large flat surface to work on.  I have also started to succumb at least a little to the dark side (aka making cards).  However, since one of the main recipients also reads this blog, I'm not sure how that will work as far as making things a surprise (hi Mum!)


I also finished a scarf/wrap thing that I made using a souvenir ball of wool that I bought when I was in Sydney (wool is a great souvenir as you get to remember the holiday both from the original and then when you use it to make something!).


Finally here is something I found on the camera and seem to have forgotten to post- a pretty blue sparkly bracelet.


Anyway, this blog isn't forgotten, just lacking new material for now.  The spirit is willing but the time to develop them is lacking.  School is back on Monday so that will not change in the near future unless I win the lottery but I do have a new Discworld stamp yearbook that I'll post here for the 2015 calendar year once I finish proof reading it.

D'oh!

I had and have big plans for these holidays but the universe seems to be against me right now.  I have managed to scientifically demonstrate that it is safer for me to do craft than it is to do housework.  While washing the dishes a glass decided to shuffle off this mortal coin and one of the bits embedded itself into my right hand.  A trip to hospital, four stitches, a course of antibiotics and a tetanus shot later and week pause in crafting (bending hand in certain directions was Not A Good Idea).  So instead I did what any sane person would do, and went on holidays to NSW- Parkes and Bathurst specifically.

Anyhow, over the Christmas break I stayed with my parents and managed to put this necklace together that had been in the queue for a while:

Celtic Knot necklace- kit bought at a craft fair from Bead Shack

And make the beading on this pretty perfume bottle (sidenote- while there doesn't seem to be anywhere to get this kit online, look on ebay or similar for woodworking supplies for pen, bottle and other bits that beading can be used on)

And my old desk pen holder (an old mug) was starting to look a bit battered so I put this together.

Parkes Telescope: 'The Dish' from the movie The Dish

So as I start to unpack from my trip, enjoy my first day without stitches and nurse a sore back (pulled a muscle just before driving home.  Turns out 7.5 hours driving is not a good thing either... urgh, I need a holiday....)

More to come- some new stamp albums to bind, I need to get my convention costume sorted for the next DW convention and just before I wrecked my hand I had started a new beading project.