A new world of craft

Well guys and girls, it's been a while!

Things have been hectic over the last few months but I thought it was time to resurrect the Twinkle Twit blog and tell you what's been happening.

Up till the end of 2012 my main craft love was all things papercraft - card making in particular with a little scrapbooking thrown in for good measure, however 2013 has seen me take on a whole array of new craft projects.

It all started earlier in the year when I was put on anti-depressants by the doctor.  Yes, I'm not afraid to admit it.  I was suffering terribly with anxiety and panic and got to a point where I couldn't socialise or even visit friends.  When I began the new meds they really knocked me for six.  The side effects were horrendous and these went on for many weeks.  During this time it was difficult to commit to anything but on the odd occasions when I felt better I wanted to do things that would occupy my mind.  My first project was to be an Easter tree.  I took a slow walk with Mom to the local playing fields and chopped off a few willow branches to start work on my project.

After this I began experimenting with wooden plaques.  My bro is an expert in the carpentry department so he cut me some various blanks and I spent time playing around with them to find the best materials and supplies to use.  The plaques became popular and many of my friends were asking if they were for sale so I decided to open up my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/twinkletwitcrafts and also list items on my Facebook and Instagram feeds.

I've also been learning to crochet and I have to admit, I think I now have an addiction!!  I never really got into knitting although both Mom and Nan were avid knitters, but I love the fact that with crochet it's not all about cardi's and scarves!  You can start a little project such as a brooch or hanging item and have it finished in a few hours.  I'm by no means a expert and not very quick but I love the things I've made so far using lots of fabulous resources on the internet. We're really lucky to have a fabulous wool shop in Halesowen called Withit Witch I popped in this morning as I've decided to make a little something for Mom to hang in her hallway.

I saw a sign recently that said creativity is not a hobby, it's a way of life, I really think that's true.  My mind is constantly in craft mode, if I see an idea or project then I have to give it a go, or spend time thinking about how I could do it differently.  The crafter's mind never stops!  I have to say, I have trouble getting to sleep some nights (oh dear, now I really do sound like I have problems).

I'm so pleased that I decided to stray from papercraft, as although I still love it and try to make cards for all my friends and relations, I've found this whole new world of crafting that means things never get stale or boring.

I have a couple of crochet projects on the go at the moment so piccies coming soon!!

Magic of Oz - A few creations

For those of you who don't follow my craft blog, I thought I'd just post a few pictures of my recent addiction.  I'm absolutely loving the 'Magic of Oz' papercraft collection from Graphic 45 and have made several cards recently for family and friends using their stamps, die cuts and papers.  I'm sure there'll be many more to follow :)



You can find more details on how I made the cards over at my sister site 'Twinkle Twit Crafts'.

Welcome to Iris Folding

In one of my recent magazines there was a great article on the papercraft technique called 'Iris Folding'. Although rather time consuming the actual technique itself was fairly simple and I think the overall effect was really effective. My first attempt was for my friend Jo's birthday. We've spent many a morning chatting over a nice cuppa or three so I had a look round for an idea that would incorporate this. I found a super example on The Little Paper Studio which included a teapot design. I tried to create something similar and came up with my own little phrase – 'Always time for tea with friends' for the teapot tag. The only problem I came across was when trying to stick my finished design to the card face due to the thickness of the folded paper I had real difficulty with this. I think next time I would make my design a little smaller to allow more free space around the edge for sticking down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had another attempt at iris folding for my brother's birthday last week. This time I went for a slightly more appropriate theme for my brother of a hot air balloon. I managed to find a template online for the hot air balloon shape and used some left over papers for the iris folding. If you fancy having a go at iris folding have a look at Handcrafted Crafted Greetings for further instructions. They also have iris folding templates available here.

A couple of other events to make for saw me creating a 'Brownie' themed card for our Niece who was 7 back at the start of June and yesterday 'A' sang at the wedding of her Youth On Stage choreographer. I looked around for a little wedding card inspiration as I've not made one until now but I was quite pleased with the result. The idea came from Card Making Corner.