Christmas in August

I recently posted that this year I'm preparing early for Christmas, no my tree isn't up and I certainly haven't started thinking about cards or gifts, I just started a Christmas crafts.

I bought this Christmas tapestry kit early last year. I didn't start it straight away as felt it premature to start in Spring / Summer, but then as Christmas did approach I didn't start as I knew there was too much work to complete before Christmas and didn't want to be doing Christmas crafts in January. I realised I was potentially stuck in a loop of never finding the right time or enough time to complete this.

I took the leap and accepted I was starting Christmas work in July....and thank goodness I did because I certainly hadn't budgeted for the amount of time it finally took to complete this project. Even once I had finished the body of the work there were 10 lines of edging to complete which was no small task in itself, but I'm proud of the outcome. I love the rich bold colours and the thick carpeted texture.

I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do with this piece, maybe a cushion? it would also make a good picture. I will have to make my mind up soon or there is a danger I still wont have a completed item before Christmas.

Metal Clay Play

I treated myself to a spot of metal clay play recently. This is the first time I've had a good play with the materials since my day-course last year.

I bought a few bits straight after the course full of motivation and enthusiasm, well life happened and I never quite got round to it. Whilst the metal clay material is pliable and relatively easy to manipulate into a design its flaw is that it can be over handled and can start to dry and crack quickly.

So I locked the men (big and small) out of the vicinity I set out to play. Having created my ideas in blue-tac I opened the Silver Clay and made a couple of charms for necklaces or charm bracelets, I'm pretty happy with the results. So simple but so effective.

I really love the clean sharp lines on the surface of the metal and how the pattern is given more depth as light is shined on it.

I made some other bits and pieces which I'm still firing and soldering...so watch this space for another metal clay update soon.

If you would like to work with metal clay I set out a little information in a previous post. Do let me know if you have a go and how you get on.

A little Stay-Cation

Sorry for the lack of blogging recently, its holiday season and like the rest of the country / world we packed our bags and headed for the coast for a week of family-time.

This year we had a stay-cation, we holidayed in Suffolk which is on the east coast of England, north east of London. Its only about a 2.5hr drive from home but it felt like another world, exactly what you need for a holiday.

We packed up practically our entire house (the benefit of driving to your holiday location) and tootled off to the coast for a week of uninterrupted family-time, pure bliss.

(The beach huts on Southwold beach, taken from the pier)

A traditional British summer holiday was had - ice-cream, fish and chips, crazy golf, cider and of course drizzly rain (but this couldn't dampen our spirits....I was as prepared as a girl guide!)

I did manage to find a little time for crafting so will be sharing this work with you very soon.

x