yucky ......

check out these legs!! .... this is how Jack Devin looked when he came back from playing rugby today - he actually had tide marks where his socks ended,the weather was atrocious and he came home all cold and wet .... but I think he had a good time (surely nobody can get that muddy and not have had fun!)

On a much less muddy subject, I've had another great week full of making and shopping for shiny things! I made a bracelet for my dear ebay friend The Paper Fairy, she wanted it to match her engagement ring. I really did enjoy making it and was especially pleased that she is happy with it.


I've listed some new things in my MISI shop - I need to spend a little less time on there chatting in the forums and a little bit more time making things! Anyway, I managed to make some Easter bracelets using the last of the lovely coloured pearls I bought from Artymiss:


Sticking with the Easter theme, I also made a mini bag book. Small but perfectly formed, these measure just 9cm square but are absolutely packed with tags, and buttons and flowers - all the things that I love. This book is so jam packed with stuff that there is no chance of it ever closing properly!!

I also made a "Book of Me" which I think would make a great present for a special girl. Mini bag books re great to make as they are a lot quicker to make and I enjoy the challenge of fitting everything in.

I grew this .....

I'm not great with plants, I forget to look after them. So I was really pleased with this amyrilis that I've grown. I say "grown" but all actually I did was water the bulb that was already planted in a pot .... but I did manage not to killl it so I guess I can take some pride in that!

I'm also rather proud of my latest set of felt badges - they have a real "1970s" feel to them. The colours remind me of some stretchy fabric seat covers that used to be in some of the offices where I work ....

I've also been making more zippers - these are great for putting on school fleeces (makes them easier to find in the after school scrum!) or on pencil cases ..... in fact they can go on anything that is crying out for that special dangly something!!


Cute eh? I think these may be my latest addiction now that I've got decorated pegs out of my system!!

Button it ....

I've been playing with my buttons this week ... much as I love just looking at them now that they are all sorted into colours I decided that it was about time I used some of them. I've been making button badges and I am absolutely hooked .... so quick, so easy and so utterly fabulous!!

I'm planning to make loads more but I do need a little bit more practice using superglue first .... I'm not the neatest of people and still haven't quite worked out not to wipe up superglue dribbles with my finger ....

Decorated pegs - definitely the way forward!! They are so cute, and a great way of using up all the "must have" embellishments that it turns out I didn't really want after all. Of course, no creation would be complete without some lovely Prima flowers.!! I put magnets on the back so that they can be used as memo holders on fridges etc .... and, what a relief, you don't need superglue to make them!!

I'm looking forward to making a whole lot more!

art for ....

.... art's sake.

I've been in a really arty mood today, I think it is something to do with the low winter sun. This time of year when I come down to breakfast I am greeted by the sun reflecting off my dining room light and it makes a beautiful patterned band round the room.

You can see my Ikea clock in the first picture, which I finally got round to decorating this week:

Jack Devin and I made some art this afternoon, based on the work of Jackson Pollock, one of my favourite artists. JD wanted some canvas blocks to go with his newly decorated room - these were such good fun to make and I think they look great (although I think they are going to take forever to dry!!):

I've spent the afternoon in my craft room watching Diagnosis Murder and making notebooks - it doesn't get too much better than that!!

snow days ....

.... and birthdays. Yesterday was Jack Devin's 12th birthday. Now, I might be horrified that my baby is growing up but he of course is mightily pleased! More so because it snowed so much that he had the day off school, his dad had the day off work and his brother had the day off college ..... I only work a short walk away from home so I missed out on a day off! Still, my boys made a snowman while I was at work and sent me some pictures.

I tried not to mind too much that they used some of my buttons for Mr Snowman's eyes. Of course, it was easy for them to choose just the right colour buttons as I have been industriously sorting my buttons into glass jars. I love having them on my window sill all ripe for the picking!! I'm not terribly happy with having to use coffee jars, but it's nothing that a trip to Ikea won't put right.

I've finally got back into my "craft groove" and have made a new bag book. It's called "Purple Funky" and will be available to buy from my MISI shop here.

I've also been making some bracelets with beads I got from ArtyMiss. I love the coloured pearls, they have an almost Victorian feel to them and I can't wait to get some more!!

after Christmas ....

.... and I've still got a whole week before I go back to work! It's been lovely having a long holiday with just "us" .... it's how I like it best! The boys have been spending their Christmas money and playing with whatever it is they bought with it, we've sharpened up at Guitar Hero and I'm sure any day now I shall be moving off beginner!

I made some new stuff (of course!) - the first thing I made is a Mermaid Bag Book with some graphics from pcCrafter.

I decoupaged the mermaids and added a tiny bit of glitter, I designed and paper pieced some shells, starfish and a couple of jelly fish .... I also used some lovely seashell rubber stamps that I'd forgotten I had ... they look lovely embossed with a verdigris powder.

I'm rather pleased with how it turned out and I can't believe I managed to make the whole book without the aid of Prima flowers!!

I've also made a heap more felt brooches - I've really enjoyed the hand sewing, especially doing blanket stitch (something I haven't done since leaving school!)

I think the cupcake ones are my favourite! They do take an age to sew though ..... still, gives me something to do whilst sitting in front of all that Christmas television!

I got felt ....

.... so I made felt brooches! I've been wanting to play with felt for ages, here's what I've made so far:


I'm off to make more .... if only I'd realised sooner that my sizzix cut through felt!