Salt dough decorations

A couple of weeks ago I made lots of salt dough decorations for christmas using cutters I found/bought/borrowed from various sources. I shaped them and dried them in the oven. I got over excited and ruined a few by drying [*cooking] them on too high a heat which made them bubble up a bit!

They didn't dry in time for me to decorate on the day so I left them overnight to dry fully, and then managed to forget about them completely until today.

So today I've decorated them, varnished them and suspended them off ribbon and they are now adorning the house in a very festive fashion.

Here they are before going in the oven. I had made decorative marks in them using a chopstick and made sure there were enough holes in them to enable me to suspend them when they were dry.

Here they are dried and glitter-glued.

Varnished, strung and festive-ly adorning a door knob.

Heres some reindeers, trees, stars and dinosaurs, varnished, glittered and drying.

And here they are sparkling on the tree!

Christmas Knitting.

I've finally begun knitting for Christmas. [ A little bit late really but it's still only November!]

I've knitted 3 hats so far, but I've decided that I like this one so much I've got to keep it for myself. Although the photo doesn't show it, the yarn is a rich bottle green and the bow is the same colour velvet, topped with a lovely little gold button I found.

Although the colour is slightly reminiscent of my old school uniform, I completely love it!

.....Now i've kept this hat I've got one more to add to the list of things to knit.

Cadbury's embroidery.

I dropped my work off at 'The Framers' in the Custard Factory on friday and was given this lovely Papergirl Birmingham paper crane in return. Here he is!

Here's a couple of close-ups of the Cadbury's embroidery. I'm really pleased with this one. I should really motivate myself to do lots more, especially on my days off work!!

Submission for Papergirl Birmingham

Tonight I finally finished the embroidery I've been working on for Papergirl Birmingham.

I've scanned it in on the A3 scanner and printed a few copies for distribution to the lovely people of Birmingham in the new year. All the dates and venues for the exhibition are yet to be announced, but I'll keep you updated!

Head and Nerve Powder.

I've just remembered that I didn't ever get around to writing a blog about the embroidery piece I did for the August/September window display of 'Fabric Magic'. - I finished it the night before set-up!

As a part of the Trowbridge August Festival I was invited to produce a piece of work based on the historical town of Trowbridge and allowed to curate my work within the space. I collected a couple of old pharmaceutical bottles and tins and curated a window based on the old Aplin's Chemist that once stood nearby. [ On Fore Street]

My camera chose the trip to Trowbridge to die so unfortunately I don't have any images of the window itself.

The embroideries are based on old prescriptions, labels and packaging that I found in the museum mounted on a piece of needle-punch embroidery made up of found cottons and linens.

Knitting, Vintage and Gin.

Our stall

My knitting and head-wears.

Some 'Bellows' treasures.

Here's my face by our stall.

On Tuesday evening I met my lovely friend Leah of Bellows Vintage and we shared a stall at the Angel Bar [ 125 Hurst Street, Birmingham] for their monthly vintage fair, 'Vintage night at the Angel Bar'.

It was buzzing with vintage sellers, creative jewellery recyclers and the occasional stall of handmade items. I showed my knitting alongside Bellows' beautiful vintage and found treasures.

Makeshift Market

Just a couple of photos I took of my stall at the Makeshift Arts and Crafts Market which I was involved with back in August. Makeshift Market was a fundraiser for the charity FairBridge West Midlands which supports young people in the local community.

There was a lovely array of different local crafters, musicians and vintage sellers who had a mix of treasures to behold, and a happy [If slightly drizzly] day was had by all!

Studley Treasures

This morning we got up nice and early and went to sell some clutter at Studley Car Boot Sale.

The sun was shining and it brought out the buyers as well as the booters!

I allowed myself a little wander about and only spent £1.50 in total on a lovely little wind-up gold watch for 50p [which amazingly keeps perfect time!] these old haberdashery cards and a slightly ridiculous mug commemorating the engagement of Prince Charles and Lady Di from 1981. J did not like the mug as much as I did.

Charity shopping: Claret coloured tea glasses

Whilst out shopping today I fell into Age UK [ My best charity shop - Age UK are far less organised and picky about the layout of the store than most others which I think increases the probability of finding treasures.] When I happened across these beautiful red plastic tea glasses. Needless to say, for 50p each, I snapped them up!

I'm not sure how old they are, I suspect quite old because J's Granddad has some almost identical in blue. The glasses themselves I think are a mix of two sets, half are Pyrex and the other half say 'JTJ Made in England' on the base. They'll look lovely in the new flat!

I also bought a pair of knitting needles for my lovely friend Jess who I'm teaching to knit for 20p and a beautiful pair of old Roland Cartier shoes for £2. Unfortunately the shoes are size 38.5 so aren't for keeps, but someone will love them I'm sure!

Trowbridge Textile and Weaving Festival

Yesterday I had a lovely sunny day going to set up my work in the exhibition at Trowbridge Museum for the Trowbridge Textile and Weaving Festival.

[Also a welcome excuse to go and stay and have dinner with my lovely friends in Bristol! An opportunity not to be missed]

The 'Apothecary Bottles' were carefully placed in next to all the old pharmaceutical bits and bobs in the cabinet containing all of the remnants of Aplin's Chemist.

I am just delighted with how well the piece fits in with the rest of the collection!

I'll be back to see the finished exhibition in full when I return to run my series of workshops at the end of the month.

All the details of the workshops and festival events are listed here in the brochure.

Bellows and Sunshine Bargains

Today we took a little trip to Tudor Grange Park.

Our lovely friend Leah of 'Bellows Vintage' was selling her vintage wares.

There was just so many beautiful things to see!

Here she is above looking sunshine-y and happy.

I bought these lovely brooches and this lovely old purse for 50p each from Save The Children stall. I especially love the bug brooch! I'm sad that i probably won't be able to keep them all!

Labels and lovely tins.

Some more little things I've been working on for the window display in Trowbridge.

Going home and rummaging with my Dad in the garage proved very fruitful and there has been lots and lots of lovely old pharmaceutical ephemera. He's given me some beautiful old tins and poison bottles for the display, I'm going to re-label some of them, and leave other to shine as they are!

Here is a little label embroidered from an example I found in the museum collections.

Very Excited.

Pharmaceutical Packaging Embroideries for Trowbridge Museum

I'm back to work and finishing off the pieces I'm showing in the Trowbridge August Festival.

These little embroideries are based on the pharmaceutical collections housed in the museum and will displayed in a chemist themed 'maker' window display in the Haberdashery in the town centre alongside a couple of other pieces which are still in the pipeline.

The Apothecary Bottles (already exhibited in Solihull) based on the exciting trinket-y contents of the Aplin's Chemist cabinet, will be displayed within the museum inside the cabinets alongside the artefacts.

Busy, busy!