Sugar and spice and all things nice

 I thought I would share some of the presents I have made this year (now the coast is clear to share them!).

I made a few of these small lined zipper bags.  Some I stuffed with shop bought goodies others with vouchers.

 I also made several batches of Elderflower cordial this year and also sloe gin (the sloe gin I give as gifts has been maturing for a couple of years, I never give this years as I like the flavours to develop and mellow).  I also made another batch of spiced sugar (with bay leaves from the garden, cloves, cinnamon etc)

Hopefully people like the gifts, they usually ask if they can have some more so I am assuming they do!

Happy crafting

kyla

 

Last desk of shame of 2015

Happy WOYWW the last one of 2015.

So my desk is looking totally uninspiring devoid of crafting with only a few scavanged ribbons from various presents and wrapping and some tags from the homemade sloe gin, elderflower cordial and spiced sugar I give as gifts which I will try to blog later.

The black empty wrapper on the top left is from a misfortune cookie that I blogged about earlier in the week. Doug and shaz suggested they would make good stamps so I thought I may give it a go, or at least an interpretation on the theme.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week spell more doom for our Mayor!!

I hope you all have a wonderful end of year.

Kyla 

Nac Mac Feegles, Birds and a Krampus

 We received many fabulous cards again this year, some handmade, some bought (charity or storebought) and some handmade by artists.

Here is a selection of just a few that really summed us up well!

A friend I have known since School (Sammie) bought me a Terry Pratchett card with the Nac Mac Feegle (both Sammie and I love Discworld and they have a shop in Dorset where Sammie lives)...Sammie also made me a shortbread christmas tree but lets be honest...that didn't last more than 48hrs after she gave it to me!!).

 Ju (another school friend) has recently returned from a trip to Japan and kindly brought back some Japanese spa products (one was a collagen mask in the shape of a face!!!! It was lovely to use but there are NO photos of that one!!) and this was the fabulous Christmas card. 

An original lino cut of Krampus from http://boswellart.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 The final card to share is from my Mum.  She didn't paint it (though she is a very talented knitter) but she did buy it from an artist selling paintings and original works direct to the public in a park in Sidmouth, Devon.  Once a year artists sell direct to the public from around the bandstand and flower beds!

So just a few cards I thought I would share.  Each very different but each celebrating art in various forms.

Happy crafting

Kyla

Coven Crafty Christmas

 Merry Christmas to all my followers.  I hope you are all having a lovely Christmas and New Year.

I had a break from blogging for a month as the pay the bills job was taking up too much of my life and any crafting I did meant I couldn't blog as it was for Christmas presents!

One thing I can share though are some of the presents I got at the Coven party.  Each week for about 7 years we meet and craft and this years Christmas 'do' involved pressies and curry!  

It was our first Christmas without Bex who moved to France a few weeks ago (waves manically to Bex via our skype chats!!) and some of the presents were homemade fudge and peanut brittle (thanks Julie and Jane-none left to show!) and then.....

 These misfortune cookies from Anna!

 The fortune cookies inside were black too!!!

 This wooden spoon was from Chief Coven member, Jill.  Loving her pyrography work.

Then we were all stunned when Arlene (who makes miniatures) presented each of us with one of these......

Each one was modelled on us (Julies had red hair!) and Arlene got my hair colour spot on and even included my white shot I have had at the front of my hair since my early twenties!  She included a pair of scissors on the hat too-simply stunning.

I hope you have had some great gifts this year and I look forward to spending some time crafting over the holidays.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Red, red wine....

Just a quick update, I thought I would stamp up some images from the lovely stamp Shaz gifted me at the recent crop.  I have been after a decent sized wine bottle stamp for AGES (literally years) and Shaz kindly gave me this one.

So I stamped it on card with memento ink and was really surprised at how fine, crisp and detailed the image was.

A quick blast with the heat gun to set the ink and I started colouring it with inktense pencils applied with a wet brush so that I got that 'fluid' look.

I set the colours with a quick spray (I normally use a spray sealant but I was being lazy so grabbed my hairspray!) and was really pleased with the outcome.

I plan on making some masks so that I can stamp the glass and bottle separately and also mask the words and the wine label-I will let you know how I get on.

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

Time to celebrate...the procrastinator has been thwarted!!!  Look....

 I know!  I couldn't believe it either.  I decided to put some more vinyl on the record player and settle down to a sewing session and I finally finished it!  I thought that since you ladies helped me think through HOW to do it at the WOYWW crop I would share it on a Wednesday (not actually my workdesk but I hope Julie doesn't mind).

The red sticking out the sides is actually my fluffy rug I placed this on top to take the photo!!  I think I made this in time as the weather in the UK took a turned colder at the weekend (not unexpected in the latter part of November) so I should be snug as a bug with this new topper on the bed.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week left me wondering whether I should actually show them considering the awful news from Paris and Lebanon recently, but they really were the first four cards drawn randomly so I decided to:

A series of horrifying acts of violence....senseless.

 Kyla

Quilt procrastination

So, how am I getting on with the quilt I hear you ask?  Well.........I was distracted!!!

On my recent trip to London we went to a Manga Exhibition at the British Museum and also a quick visit to Tate Modern.  As Banksy said "exit through the giftshop" and this meant I ended up being surrounded by lovely art books!!!!

I treated myself to a pocket watercolour book (it is nice a simple, unlike some of my other books which confuse me and put me off painting) and also an urban sketching book.

I really enjoy urban sketching and on trips out I often have a small drawing pad, pen and a mini watercolour kit.  I have sketched on trains, buses, in pubs....anywhere I find something interesting to record.

So I was all prepared to crack on with my quilt after having made an effort at the weekend...only to find myself distracted by flicking through the books..which ended up being more than a hour!

I am determined to crack on with  it.....oh, but there is ironing and bottling of the sloe gin, and filing....etc........ah, why am I SO good at procrastiation!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

 

Music to quilt by

So after a fabulous weekend in London visiting my brother, sister in law and my new niece Emily (she is SO cute) and a quick trip to the British Museum and Tate Modern whilst we were there I found myself extra busy with a mix of gigs (The Legendary  Shack Shakers) and an evening out with friends sampling a new Veggie and vegan restaurant in Bristol (1847-great good and service) not to mention crazy hectic at work to boot.

So I decided this weekend I need to crack on a finish some UFO's (unfinished objects-I am sure you all have them).

The one I chose to tackle is my quilt! Now some of you know I have been struggling for quite a while with this but I made great progress at the recent WOYWW crop with all the advice (couldn't convince anyone to finish it for me though!!) so I put on the record player and plugged in the sewing machine and tired not to swear too much as I tried to make some progress!

Christmas cards

So after saying I don't usually make quick cards here are some more!!  I must admit I tend to batch make Christmas cards as it just makes life a little easier.

These were made from a topper pack I bought at the NEC, it was a selection pack which you could only see the top and bottom layers in the pack so it was a bit of a gamble-but for £1 it was worth it as they are really good quality.

 I used a blank square card and a micron pen to add some detail around the edges of the card.  Then I added some colour around the edges with TH Distress Inks and highlighted the card with some stickles.

I kept this card much more simple as the toppers were a bit more 'fussy' but I still added some colour around the edges and used the micron pen again to add a border.

I managed to make about six cards in under an hour, not enough but a good start to my Christmas cards (I did make some back at the start of the year after I was inspired by Hettiecraft...but I stashed them somewhere safe and the inevitable happened and  I have NO idea where I put them!!).

Still avoiding making Christmas presents (mainly as I have NO idea what to make-last year I made handbags and fabric book covers so am at a loss for this year) so I may resort to vouchers and having to shop for presents!  If you have any ideas please let me know!!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

WOYWW

Welcome to another What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday....only 7 more until Christmas!!!

Not that I am worried....after all I have only made one present so far!!!

So with this in mind you'd think I was cracking on making presents...but no, I am sat here colouring in!!

Like many others I do find this a calming distraction.  Rather than the Sci-Fi colouring comic book I have used previously I thought I would pull out my Secret Garden one that I bought over a two years ago, one of the first in the craze.  Sometimes you just need to do something different.

My "Man Bites Dog" cards this week were 'Priest Burns Lost Tourist' ....ooh that sounds like a script from a film!

Happy crafting and please feel free to join in WOYWW where many of us share our desks across the globe.  Full details of how to join are here 

Happy crafting

Kyla