Colour In Combination:

Last night I did one of my most favourite things. Steady now. I pulled out all of my beading magazines and started flicking through them to find inspiration for some new beading projects. Only, it just wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be.

It seems that there comes a time in a beaders life when she has flicked through the same magazine too many times for the projects to seem new and enticing. So, of course, I used it as an excuse to have a little browse through all of the craft magazines in our local newsagents - and for purchasing a new, lovely and very colourful copy of Bead Magazine.

This month's magazine is a special, dedicated to using colour. Something I would like to be a little more daring with myself. I find that I use the same colours all of the time - in my beading, my scrapbooking and my decorating! Anyone that's in a similar kind of colour rut, might like to check out one of Kirsty's latest posts on The Copy & Paste Project all about finding colour inspiration in the everyday. It's spot on and, obviously, just in time to help me avoid disaster.

I'll be sure to let you all know how I'm getting on with my projects, but first a cup of tea, a biscuit and my new magazine. Bliss!

Getting To Know You, Getting To Know All About You.

One of my favourite challenge blogs - The Copy & Paste Project - is celebrating it's first birthday this weekend with fantastic projects from some amazing guest posters and some rather nifty prizes to be had.

As part and parcel of the party The Copy & Paste ladies have asked their readers to share a few things - so that we can get to know each other. Thank goodness I'm sharing before I start on the cocktails!

1. Everyone knows that I love my arts and crafts but you'd never guess that I also love me some science. I'm a geek and that's okay.

2. I'm proud to admit that I like reading but my guilty pleasure is chick lit.
3. I'm inspired by kindness and it surprises me when it comes from strangers.
4. I'm always saving project ideas but I'm never able to finish (or start!) them all.
5. I've got lots of lovely, wonderful friends but I've always wanted more. You can never have too many.
6. I tried to crochet once and it made me feel stupid!
7. If I never figure out why my feet suddenly shrank two sizes a few years ago it will be a mystery forever.
8. I didn't watch Glee on Monday and now that I've managed to see it, I feel better.
9. It's not that I don't like the gym but I'd really rather be asleep. I'm still forcing myself to go though. *Sigh!*
10. Doing something new makes me feel nervous but, sometimes, it's worth it!
11. Someone once told me to hang my bottoms from the tops and my tops from the bottoms and then my clothes stayed in excellent shape while they were drying on the washing line :)
12. I'm happy to say that I love The Copy & Paste Project and even love the two loons lovelies who organise it all. You know who you are.

If you've not checked out The Copy & Paste Project before, well then head on over to the party. It's one of the most splendid arts and crafts blogs around with challenges that encompass all sorts of crafts and can be adapted to suit your own crafty yearnings. Enjoy your weekend.

Trick & Treat {& Tutorial!}

Cute and crafty chicas Julie and Kirsty are having a Hallowe'en Blog Party today and I am feeling oh, so honoured *blush* that they have invited me to join in the celebrations and create a little crafty 'trick' for everyone. And - once you've worked your way through the tutorial - there's a couple of treats for everyone too!

Trick - Customisable Cuff

In the spirit of Hallowe'en, I made a cuff in gothic goddess style with a rich, burgundy satin, black lining and some chunky looking buttons in gold and black. All of which will work very nicely with my little black dress and goth girl make-up for an outfit that nods at the occasion, but makes me look stylish not scary. And since cuffs are bang on trend, it's the perfect accessory.

But, if you've already got tonight's outfit all worked out; goth isn't your style; or you've found your way to this tutorial well after Hallowe'en, fear not. This cuff is really easy to customise. You can change the fabrics, add some lace or ribbons or choose some super cute beads and buttons to make your fastening. Now, since this is my first machine sewing tutorial, it's picture heavy in the hope the pictures will help where my directions may be a bit 'fuzzy'. Feedback and questions will be most welcome! (Don't forget to keep reading to the bottom for the Treats!)

To Make Your Cuff, You Will Need:

Fabric(s) - Choose any fabric that you like. I've chosen a satin finish, which means I need to use interfacing. If you choose a cotton or heavier weight fabric, you can skip the interfacing and the ironing. Result!
Interfacing - You'll only need this with lighter weight fabrics.
Threads - Match or contrast.
Pins - For temporarily joining your fabrics.
Iron - If you're using interfacing. Once you've finished making your cuff, a press with the iron will also make it look super professional!
Elastic - Just a small piece.
Buttons, Ribbons or Lace - To decorate your cuff.
Sewing Machine or Lots of Patience - Hand stitching is perfect, but I'm so not patient enough.

1. Choose the fabric(s) that you want to have visible on the outside of your cuff and cut six pieces approximately 1 1/2" x 3". You don't need to be too exact!

2. If you're using lighter weight fabrics, you will need to back them with interfacing. Cut the interfacing into pieces just smaller than your fabric pieces and adhere to the fabric following the instructions on your packet!

3. Once you have all of your fabric pieces ready, start joining them together. With the 'right sides' together, pin the 3" sides together and, using your machine, sew together. You'll need a seam allowance of 1/4 inch.

4. Keep adding fabric pieces, keeping the 3" sides together, until you have five pieces joined together.

5. Test the length of the joined pieces by wrapping it around your wrist. It will need to overlap by at least an inch. If it's doesn't add the last piece of fabric.

6. Once you have all of your fabric pieces joined together, you'll need to add a backing. Cut another piece of fabric to the same size as your patchwork pieces and pin to your patchwork piece with the 'right sides' together.

7. Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, stitch around the outsides of the fabrics - but leave one end of the fabrics open.

8. Turn the fabric cuff inside out through the open end. Use a pencil or knitting needle (I used the end of a paint brush) to really push the corners out.

9. Fold the frayed ends of the cuff inwards so that you have a nice straight edge and pin in place.

10. Take your length of elastic and knot. Trim the ends.

11. Place the elastic into the open end of the cuff - with the knot on the inside - and pin in place.

12. Now 'top stitch' around the outside of the cuff, again leaving about a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I went around the outside of the cuff three times, quite roughly, so that the stitching looked more decorative (and so that I didn't have to match my ends up!) This has the added advantage of closing the open end of the cuff and really securing the elastic in place.

13. All you need now is a button closure. So, wrap the cuff around your wrist and mark where the elastic comes to rest. This is where you'll need to put your button! I just added a few for extra gothic goodness!

Treats - Goodies & Giveaway

Goodies - This weekend, anyone who signs up for Julie and Kirsty's rather lovely looking Twelve Days of Christmas Workshop, will receive an extra download full of goodie goodness. Since the workshop will be crammed full of projects that use up your existing stash, leaving you with some special presents for your friends and family (or for yourself) it's just another reason that you should have a peek and sign up. Go on! You know you want to!

Giveaway - As a little extra thank you for coming over to my corner of the party, I'm giving away a customised cuff - one made especially for you! In order to be eligible for this most covetable of cuffs, you'll need to:

a) Be a follower of my blog. So add yourself now, if you haven't already. I can promise you more fashion, craftiness, scrappiness and giveaways very, very soon.

b) Old and new followers alike will also need to leave me a comment below and make sure that I have a way of contacting you about your win. No-one wants to win and then not find out about it!

I'll choose a winner on Monday 2nd November. Until then, head over to The Copy & Paste Project to see who else has come along to the party. Gatecrashers are so very welcome :)

Sometimes - The Mini Album

Dedicated friends and lovely blog readers will be aware that I've been feeling somewhat low this week. (It really hasn't been difficult to notice.) I should thank you all for your kind words and support. You know who you are. Thank you!

Although I'm feeling so much better, I do want to share the creative madness genius that is the Sometimes Mini Album. I had been thinking about the latest Copy & Paste prompt, Post Secret, and initially thought I might centre a layout around this cheery little thought - "Sometimes I feel lonier when I'm with other people than when I'm by myself."

But I had so much more to say and in the end I started putting together this little wonder on Tuesday evening - when I felt the need to just 'get it all out' and concentrate on being honest, not pretty. I collected together some papers, ephemera and embellishments that seemed perfect for the story that I wanted to tell and didn't stop until I'd finished.

I am in love with this little piece of honesty. So often, scrapbookers seem to feel obliged to document the celebrations; the holidays; the good times and leave no room for documenting the truth that sometimes everything isn't perfect. And you know what? It really helped.

A Spare Half An Hour

I've been so busy this week that I've not had much time for any craftiness and I had big long list of projects that I wanted to try and challenges that I wanted to participate in - but, as I've not missed a challenge from The Copy & Paste Project since it started, I didn't want to miss the latest one. Even if I didn't have the time to do the project I originally had in mind.

So, here's the result of a spare half an hour. It's a nice, little brooch made from recycled shirt material, cute buttons and a wee bit of love. It's so simple to make and to prove it to you, I'll be posting a little tutorial next week with all the instructions and a little giveaway. Go me!

Have a great weekend!

Blogs Are Like Buses...

...you wait ages for one and then they all come along at once. I know I've neglected my little blog a bit over the last week - I was feeling a little bit blah and less than inspired.

Well, now actually, that's not true. I've been inspired by other things -the sunshine; new beading patterns; craft classes - like Rachel Denbow's awesome art journalling classes - and trusty challenge blogs like Copy & Paste.

Sometimes, I'm too inspired. Do you know what I mean? I get lots and lots of ideas and want to do them all, but don't know where to start. The latest prompt at Copy & Paste inspired by Alice in Wonderland made it really difficult to decide on an interpretation - it really is a challenge blog!!! I knew I really wanted to do a scrapbook layout about my beliefs, but I honestly couldn't figure out what I believe in.

Did I believe that children are our future? Did I believe that for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows? Did I believe in a thing called love? I didn't know whether to be facetious or serious. Typically, I only decided in the small hours of the night - it's when I do my best thinking - and I'm actually really, really happy with my final layout.

"I believe in simple things. I believe in the smell of freshly mown lawn; in the hum of streetlife; good friends; true love; staying up late and sleeping in; the miracle of forgiveness; that dreams really can come true; the feeling of grass beneath my feet; sunny days; childish behaviour; imagination; hot toast with lashings of butter; chance. I believe that life is all in the details."

What do you believe in?

Copying & Pasting - Bounded In A Nutshell

"Being creative and original doesn't always have to begin with re-invented wheels, clean slates and blank pages."

~ Julie Kirk & Kirsty Neale, Copy & Paste ~

Julie and Kirsty's new challenge blog Copy & Paste got me thinking. At school it's drummed into us that copying isn't allowed, but copying (or emulating - a much nicer word) the work of someone else isn't in itself a bad thing. Through copying other people's styles and techniques I've learnt a lot. I've learnt how other people conduct business; I've learnt how other people create; I've learnt how other people live their lives. More importantly I've learnt that, in some cases, I would do things differently.

In adapting (or pasting) what I have learnt to suit my own needs; my own tastes and my own life, I've begun to produce better work - better photographs, better art, better writing - and I am happier with who I am as a result.

So, head on over to check out the first challenge and let emulation lead you to inspiration.

"I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a King of infinite space".
William Shakespeare: Hamlet Act II SC2