Day 54 - handmade Christmas cards

I've made a few of these now, I always like to have a few designs but I liked how simple and effective this design is so there are a few adaptations but essentially they are all the same. Today I added a cut out window, I played with the idea of pasting a picture on the inside, but decided I liked the bare cut out more. I am going to add a few finishing touches before I send them out, but that is for an element of surprise in case they read this blog.

Day 53 - Christmas Card prototype

I have always been particularly useless at cards, I remember writing them out to all my school friends and leaving them at home, only to find them and bin them in the new year. Hopefully this year will be better.
Anyway it's a pretty simple design with quilled pieces of card and a christmas stamp, I have more ideas to fill up the empty space so hopefully I'll be able to show you a finished design this evening.

Day 52 - DIY handmade paper

I have always done handmade Christmas' and as I develop more skills I like to make my gifts more unique, so I've made paper to use for all my tags and labels this year. I made paper for my boat project last year, but it was thick and lumpy and mostly a grim colour. This time round I have improved and experimented with thin, coloured, scented paper!
First I tore lots of junk mail and scrap paper into tiny pieces and soaked it in water for a few minutes. Next I blended the mixture into a pulp, (this bit is much easier if you have a proper blender, not just a handheld as it likes to splatter...) I added a bit of yellow food colouring first, to take away the dull grey tone and then used purple acrylic ink to give it a sweet lavender colour, I also added a touch of glittery acrylic for a touch of sparkle. For the scent I used a pinch of ground nutmeg, cardamom and a touch of vanilla, (I would have used cinnamon too but I unbelievably don't have any!!) which has given it a subtle yuletide aroma.

Here is a general paper making tutorial as there are too many steps and I didn't have all the equipment so my way is a bit more of a winging it style.
For the texture I imprinted a pattern from lace into it using a rolling pin. It looks interesting, but I'm sure I'll regret this when it comes to writing on it.

Day 44 - DIY Cute cat jumper

So I am ready to embrace my status as crazy cat lady, though one is more than enough for me. I chose a plain jumper that has been bugging me for a while and tarted it up with a bit of thread. Tor decided he could help me start by sitting on it and posing, thanks kitty! That's it for today but I have some cosy ideas to finish it off.

Day 35 - DIY easy Halloween bat decal

So this is yesterdays blog as it was one of those busy days of work and visitings, and actually I made most of the bats a few days ago. Though I had fun this morning arranging them coming out of the chimney and up the wall. I think it needs more...many more!
Black sugar paper, scissors and bluetac, I had a google image page open with lots of bat silhouette shapes and worked on folded paper to get mostly symmetrical bats. I think mixing up the sizes and shapes makes for a more realistic cloud of bats (or colony, or camp!)

Day 34 - Cartoon street of paper houses

Today I made a row of paper houses from basic shapes cut from envelopes. I added a cartoon effect on GIMP and this is the outcome. I like the array of different buildings and the combination of colours and enjoyed the process too. These images are the very first stages of a personal present for my nieces and nephews... More on that later, but for now perhaps you could give me some suggestions for street names and maybe even house names. :)

Day 31 - DIY paper lampshade

Prompted by the need for a light bulb change I decided the lampshade needed upgrading. I made this from four sheets of music score, 16 strips of yellow card, pva glue, a needle and embroidery thread. I began by strengthening the edges of my music sheet and then added a cross of card for extra structure and a little detail. I marked holes along the two longer sides of each sheet and pierced them with an awl.

Sew the sheets together using blanket stitch or a simple lacing stitch like mine. Add a thread two each of the top corners and draw together, tie around light fitting and your done. I drew the lower threads together and attached a silk decoration I've had bumbling around for years. It has a very warm glow, took about an hour and is far better than the ikea globe we have throughout the rest of the house.

Day 30 -homemade body scrub

I have avoided making any natural beauty treatments myself as my skin is a bit sensitive when it comes to washing, but this was very rejuvenating. My skin feels softer and smoother and there was no itching, no dryness and no need for moisturising. It was also super easy to make. For the exfoliant you can use sugar or salt, something with a fine grain, I went for soft dark sugar, mix it 2 parts sugar/salt to 1 part oil, (I chose almond oil but you can use coconut oil, or even extra virgin olive oil.) That's the basic recipe, but if you want a scent you can add some essential oils or like me lemon zest and fresh mint.
Rub into the skin in circular motions before your bath or shower, be a bit more gentle on softer areas. And remember to clean the bath of residual oil when your done.

Day 27 - DIY sewing case

I like to have everything I need handy when I'm sewing, mostly I find I can't be bothered to find pins if I'm in the middle of something, or baste something if I don't have needle and thread to hand. So my brief was to make something to contain all the essentials, I wanted it small and simple and I also wanted a pin cushion in there for good measure. This fabric is one of the small remnants I have left from the wedding bunting this year and I'm really pleased that it has become something I will keep for a while. I used felt for all the pockets and details as it holds its weave even after being stabbed a thousand times, that and it doesn't need hemming so making slips and pockets is very forgiving and easy!

Please comment below if you would like instructions.

Day 22 - DIY draft excluder

Winter is coming...it will soon be time for heating to go on, but for now layers, tea and draft excluder's will suffice. Not sure how much of a difference it will make but we'll find out as winter progresses.
It's very basic, I'm intrigued to see how the real cat interacts with it.

Day 19 - Patchwork skirt

Over the years I have collected an array of cartoon kitsch fabrics, from Thunderbirds and Hulk to Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Rabbit. They are pretty much the only fabric I have kept after my mega clean out this year. So I've got a lot of ideas to come up with, today it's a patchwork edged skirt. I used an old pair of trousers for the skirt, cutting the legs off and opening the crotch, I made triangles from the legs and stitched them on overlapping to the still intact waistband (with pockets!). It's a bit squiffy but I like the overall shape. For the patchwork I assembled my patches and stitched them into a long strip, which I fed through hair straighteners while folding in the seams. Basically making a really thick bias binding without getting the iron out. Another pinterest find! So here is a skirt for me to wear out dancing this evening. :)

Day 15 - DIY re-upholstery

Before

For the Man's birthday tomorrow and as another step towards completing the look of our room I took the challenge of transforming his lumpy, unsightly downright nasty chair into something a little more sophisticated. This is what I started with...

I decided that I would make a washable slip, rather than pull the existing fabric off and tack new stuff on. I lay the fabric over the chair to cut, (I am not one for pattern making and this way was pretty simple.) The seat, front and back are all made from a single piece with separate rectangles for the seat sides and two more shapes for the back sides. Then came lots of sewing, a little bit of unpicking and some head scratching, et voila!
It just slips over, holds the cushion nicely in place and looks sooo much better. Tomorrows blog will be along later today, and will complete this cosy chair.

After

Day 9 - Jenga sculpture

I am still working on the pink balloon, it is looking a bit more finished, but I am not happy enough to blog it again so here is a manor house made of Jenga blocks. Luckily I have two sets so I could get pretty creative on the architecture.

Day 7 - Paper furniture

Today I used a pair of scissors, a piece of lined paper and a biro and arranged three rooms with simple cutouts.

Day 5 - Box frame memento display

This was a fun little project today, I turned a box frame into a stash for my gig and cinema tickets. I cut the back panel down a bit to make a small slot for me to post things in as I get them, which is far better than stuffing them into random boxes or my wallet. I used a Kath Kidston sample for the background and then drew some stars onto the frame. Pretty simple but effective.  

Day 3 - DIY shirt to skirt...The shkirt

Before

I started this Home is where the Chaos project on Pinterest a few weeks ago, collecting ideas and inspiration. I can't take any credit for this idea, but I'm pleased it was an internet inspired project that actually happened, rather than being put in one of those 'Great Ideas' folders and never looked at again. (I have many...)

After

So Day 3 began with a mans shirt, First I chopped the sleeves off, and trimmed the rest of the shirt to just above the curve of the arm hole. Then I rolled a top hem and stitched it down with enough of a loop to hold some thin elastic. Now at this point, you have a skirt, there are extra baggy bits around the hip so the next step is to straighten out the side seams. I played with the idea of a pocket but eventually (with some helpful suggestions from The Man) I decided to replace the buttons with something a bit more interesting. After much deliberation I chose some mini pewter compasses, and then added a little anchor patch to the bottom corner.

Overall I like the idea, but I'm not particularly happy with the finish. I would like to unstitch the waistband and try again, perhaps taking it in a little more at the side seams as there is a lot of excess fabric which bunches unpleasantly. I tried to stretch the fabric out at the front which helps a bit. Either way I'll be wearing it to school tomorrow. The nautical element is a little homage to my year of boats too, not my intention but definitely my aesthetic.

Day 2 - DIY upcycling

Before

Winter is coming, time to dig out those chunky jumpers and get the layering system back into play. Personally I can't do most knitwear or fleece, or anything that is particularly warm, so this jersey fabric is perfect for me. Warm, but lightweight and breathable. Unfortunately it tends to stretch and loose its shape, so today's challenge was to breath some new life into this sad old jumper. It had a roll neck once upon a time, but it annoyed me so much I cut it off, the sleeves have had thumb holes poked through and are covered in acrylic paint. The rest of it is just loose and baggy and raggedy.

After

With some giant buttons and a bit of cutting and stitching I turned it into a cuff sleeved, asymmetric collared, cardy. Now it's super comfy but much smarter with some of my personality in the mix too.

Day 1 - DIY decorating

Good Morning! I have returned after a month and a half of creative freedom, I have thought long and hard about my new project, I learnt a lot from my year on Boats but fancied something more productive but slightly less tangible. So allow me to introduce you to my new 365 project:

HOME IS WHERE THE CHAOS IS!  D.I.Y 365

Throughout the next year I plan to get on with all of those creative projects that are just for me, you know the ones you think, "I should do that one day", yet that one day never truly happens. I have chosen a very broad area to work on, so expect to see homes, chaos and plenty of me, Doing It Myself, (probably while creating Chaos at Home!)

So to kick start my project I have had a thorough cleanse, throughout the entire house. Bit by bit I have banished hoarded junk, broken ornaments and cobwebs from every corner of my home. Rearranged the furniture in every room to maximize space and add to the general Feng Shui I was sorely lacking. My blog begins the day after my Birthday after a fantastic weekend gatherings, epic board games...and bedroom painting. On Friday morning (and for the best part of three years) our room has been a hideous shade of orange paired with a sickly pink. The colour made it feel so grotty that we never really tried to make it homely.

After

Before

After two coats of Magnolia we wanted to add a pop of colour, The Man and I discussed different ideas, he likes graphic lines and minimalism, I am a lover of vibrancy and detail. So we designed a series of horizontal stripes, marked out very meticulously with masking tape. The end result gives a clean, fresh atmosphere with a bit of character from the stripes.