Flower Power!

Its a special someone's birthday today!

These are her presents....!

Happy Birthday!
xxxx

Busy.. Busy.. Flop!

Spring has certainly sprung around here - there are beautiful blooms all over the garden, plenty of  magpies and pigeons (and I hope some robins) building nests, clear blue skies and our vehicle's MOT is due...

I have been busying away creating for a bonanza of birthdays, and celebrations until  things reached fever pitch.....(nearly literally) and I flopped!

Since then I have been resting (or trying to...) and the antibiotics are slowly dragging me out of my fuzzy head...I'm even considering picking up my crochet hook again..so until then here's some I prepared earlier:

They are both slightly different!

 

This string is a full crochet one  made using Sirdar Squiggle yarns

and Lucy at Attic 24s teeny tiny heart and teeny tiny flower patterns,

though with super bulky yarn the teeny tiny bit may be a little unnecessary!

I have made huge progress on the book front!

 Chopping and slicing....

I found a fantastic well used map in a charity shop - it wasn't until I got it home I found its true beauty...it was 2 maps carefully taped together and annotated with red and blue biro. Its folds were also individualised and this has given some interesting edges and sticky out bits in the finished books! (I did chop it up as I thought it must have served its original purpose and then been donated!)

Some finished volumes....

and inner details!...

I have finished the commission and handed it over to my satisfied friend...I will post about it when I know it has been given to its recipients!

Following Tracey's post about her fabulous  gift bags I had a go...
its the first time I followed a longer pattern with lots of rows, holes and a spiral...
I realised where I had gone astray, but wanted to try out the handles so I modified mine into a basket sort of bag! It is unique I admit  -  but I love it, and it will be filled with chocolate goodies soon!

I'll certainly be making more in the future - hopefully they'll look more like Tracey's!

Whilst on the subject!..... Carrad over at Faded Reverie has a fab bag of handmade goodies to  give away to make Spring a bit more colourful...

...and finally here's a teaser of some Easter goodies I am itching to get back to....

I'll be using one of Helen's tried and tested tips on some of the contents! 

I also used this one on the bag!

Hope you are all enjoying some of the joys of Spring!!

xx

Booking time to relax and create!

 I have long admired Jenny's fabulous creations at love and peas*  she is currently debating whether her beautiful volumes are  journals or books....

I love books! The smell, feel, weight, contents, covers, pages...words,  spaces, fonts...I could go on for reams!

The other Saturday I spent a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon learning a new skill alongside two interesting  and humourous ladies. It was a  stab stitch book binding workshop led by Christina at Fibre Flurry. We had expert tuition, Christina was very patient and informative, and gave us lots of tips and hints from her wide artistic experience. We learned about the Japanese art of binding and folding (so the pages are double) alongside placing leaves in folio.
We were able to use materials from Christina's new plain or colourful paper collection and her bulging boxful of preloved paper - quite a distracting challenge to choose from such an amazing array of pages containing words, music, pictures, destinations, diagrams, lines and notes.

The tricky task requiring concentration was measuring, puncturing holes, and sewing the binding but we had two stabs (haha) at it and were able to make our mistakes in a friendly atmosphere!

We came away with two books, templates to make more of the same size, and a stacks of ideas.

The covers have two sides...

the pattern on the outside and inside..

I included lots of different pages...

Since the workshop I have been browsing charity shops for tatty books to chop into and reuse and reinvigorate! Before shopping I thought it would be easy to slice a book that was not mine..however just trying to choose one was really tricky; all the books were pristine, and by making the choice it meant that I had become attached to the book in question.
I know others have worked through these issues - thanks to Kate for voicing it on her blog and to her daughter Kirsty for the initial inspiration for my paper folding forays !

Today  I had several brilliant finds though, and feel that I can reuse these volumes of music

...just look at all these notes..and (someones) notes!!

Here's some of the beautiful items I have gathered ...

soon to be bound and given away to be used by new readers writers and drawers!!

Work in Progress

There's been a chaos of creative activity at Random Wooliness HQ over the last few weeks...I am completely engrossed in crochet,  an inspiring workshop has filled my head full of new ideas, and I have been beavering away experimenting and working on my commission!

I think I am at a stage where I can share some of the commission project... other exciting and colourful acitivity will be revealed in further posts...(including a project I'm really pleased with made back in January) - when I put my hook and yarn down!

The first stage in the commission  project was to experiment and try to incorporate some shiny fabric in the felting process...

I already had a tiny slice of this

its amazing rainbowy organza-like and sparkly, from a larger piece of fabric - if anyone knows where I can find any more please let me know!

 As I was unsure on the colour scheme I invested in some ribbon...

and tried several ways of  incorporating it into the felt....

...just laying it on top...

....catching it round the edges...and capturing sari silk underneath...

and part wet felting, part needle felting...

..it is interesting how the needle has textured the ribbon when punching it...

However having chatted to the friend who has requested the piece we have decided to possibly use a different fabric and a modified technique although we may omit the fabric altogether ....

Its great being able to share creative ideas with the person who has asked for the item.

 Some of the materials in use are:
 New Zealand Corriedale in Fuchsia
Shetland hand dyed top in Sea Green and hand painted River
all from Sara's Texture Crafts

the colours are beautiful..I just love the Fuchsia and the ever changing tones in the bluey green!

Hopefully if the measurements are ok I'll try and mount it on the piece of Scottish driftwood.


I have had a full trial run and I've wetfelted the final piece, needlefelting next...taking photos as I go so that the people who receive it will know its story!

When it is finished I'll tell you its tale too!

More firsts!

How exciting! I have been awarded a Versatile Blogger Award by Carrad over at Faded Reverie. Carrad is lady of many crafty talents  -  I'd like to thank her for the award and making the days she posts that bit more colourful!

I gather the instructions are as follows:

a. Pass the Award on to fifteen recently-discovered blogs of your own.

b. List seven facts about yourself, and

c. Thank the awarder.

I seem to have started this in reverse..so I will continue that way!

Carrad listed seven 'Firsts'  from her childhood and that got me thinking about 'firsts' so here are seven of my 'firsts':

The first poster on my bedroom wall was of  Donny Osmond sporting a maroon cap and a toothy smile!

My first part in a school play that I can recall was as a tree - and I been a wooden actress ever since!!

I got my first pair of glasses after my 40th birthday.

On the first morning that I stayed at my Grandma and Granda's house I was woken by the sound of an approaching rattling cup and saucer - I was given a very weak cup of tea containing a couple of spoonfuls of rainbow sugar crystals!

I have just completed my first week crocheting (have I mentioned that exciting fact before?!)

I followed my first felt bowl tutorial from Liz, my first  blog comment was from Becky, Melody is my first blog buddy from the USA, I won my first giveaway from Sarah, Kate is the first person I know who runs two blogs singlehandedly, Jenny is the first person I have seen to embroider spectacles! and Tracey is the person who inspired me to make my first post!

....and my last first is that this is the first anniversary of my first post!!

So I'd like to pass the award on to three bloggers I have found recently:

Flaming Nora

Emma Varnam

Lynne's Knits

and one who's a little less recent

Creative Chaos Art 

Helen has lots of creative strings to her bow and her birthday cake was incredible!

 I am aware that some bloggers are uncomfortable with the accepting and passing on of awards, so if I have included you on the list I will not be offended if you choose to ignore it.

My intention in mentioning your blog is to  to say how much I look forward to your updates and all your creative inventions!

Reflecting on my first year of blogging I have really enjoyed reading lots of people's experiments, exploits, tips, and stories and have been inspired by the beautiful pictures, illustrations, photos and items people have designed and made.

Some blogs I love for their writing style and content - Linnhe you really make me smile, and think!

I'd like to finish by saying a massive thank you to all my bloggy friends for your comments, inspiration and support. Also another massive thank you to all my other followers who comment so positively when they see me!

Here's to another fun bloggy year and some posts with a few more pictures!!

x

Happy Birthdays!

We know a fair few friends and family who celebrate February birthdays!

In addition to the crochet bunting...which now has a new home!...

the following will be finding their ways to new homes too....

It was good to get back into the swing of needlefelting with yarn again...and to find a good stock of the bags at a local crafty superstore...one day I will felt my own bags!

Happy Birthday to all of you with February birthdays!...

Spring is in the air - there's blooms in the garden!

xx

I'm hooked!

Outer ring designed by mum...

teeny tiny heart design by Lucy at Attic 24

a bit wobbly but ok for a beginner?!

Happy Valentines Day! x