Embossing Fun

 Good morning,

I have had a slightly hectic week, but it's been wonderful. First a trip to the Quilt & Stitch village, then up to Manchester for a Dimenson 20 show with my youngest

 

And my bluebells have finally come out

 

But lets get back to the important business of crafting, because over at Fab'n'Funky challenges...

Embossing

wet/dry

yes we want you to choose which method you like most, or why not mix the up

Soo I got a lovely embossing folder for xmas and I've been dying to use it........

And here it is

Embossing folder - Wisteria background from Lisa Norton

Inks - Perfect plum & Garden green

My foam pad was a little small and I think that is the reason so much ink got on the main body of the card.

But it does seem to give it a little something

Well please check out our lovely ladies at Fab'n'Funky challenges and leave them some love.

Hugs & Happy thoughts

Buffy x

Your head is where the Hapiness is (or coping with Adulting)

I mentioned on wednesday that I was out of sorts and was going to enter 2 competions next year, to prove to myself that I can go out into the big wide world too.

For those of you that don't know me you are probably thinking, aah she's a stay-at-home mum. Well, NO, I've worked most of my adult life and only gave up a few years ago to improve my health and help my eldest daughter with my granddaughter.(Bundle of joy and mischeif, slightly old photo, she's nearly 3 now)

I just find more and more that I'm not me anymore, so this is now my new journey of discovery, and you are welcome to join me.

I have had real troubles with being creative recently and that is definitely NOT normal for me. And that is when I heard the alarm bell ring "NOT normal for me".

Most of us go about our lives with the odd alarm bell going off but we carry on and ignore it, and that is a thing I have done in the past to. When we're younger life is hectic and busy and full of all sorts of things that don't always allow us to stop and take note of ourselves. 

The big question is "Do you hear yourself sometimes?" 

Now I don't mean a comment you have made to someone that maybe you shouldn't, I mean YOU do you hear YOU?

 Because if we listen every now and then, we will hear ourselves say "this isn't normal for you". 

And it's not talking about you doing some extreme activity or streaking through the cricket match with your top off 

(no, sorry to disappoint but I've never done that, I'm affraid an over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder is required at all times 🙈),

 it's talking about all the little things you love but you're not doing. The things that normally bring you joy.

SO.....challenges were needed......hence

Quilt & Stitch Village contest

&

Foundations Revealed competion

 

I entered the Quilt & Stitch village last year ( this post ) but I don't think I put my whole heart into it, but this time it has to be. I would so love to win a ribbon (a third place would be fabulous, I'm not greedy).

The hardest part of any challenge is where to start, for those of you who follow my blog you'll know I  have a little design book where I make scratchy sketches of what I want to make. Show you those next friday.

OUT IN THE BIG WORLD part I - Then comes the "finding fabric" part of it, I was hoping to go to Abakhan in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday with my sister-in-law (she's nutty-as-a-fruitcake and I love her to bits), unfotunately she got all her times muddled and we couldn't go.  

If you've never been to an Abakhan and there is one nearish to you I highly recommend you go. They have bins of off-cuts that you purchase by weight and I can honestly say, I've found some fabulous bargains.

So I trotted along to The Sewing Barn, just off the A52 near Ashborne. It was a lovely little shop

Daughters room is Kiwi Crush and Javan Dawn 3 (blue and green for us lesser mortals). I had a colour swatch with me and the lovely lady helped me find these. 

So I'm going to work on my design sketch of how I hope this will look.

BUT REMEMBER - if you aren't doing the little thing that brings you joy then try getting back into it, the world won't stop because you decided to spend an hour doing something that bring calmness and joy into your day/week.

And if motivation to do that thing is the problem then enter a challenge/contest/competion. Maybe it's just the motivation you need. Plus doing something that scares you is highly liberating and deeply satisfying.

If you like the idea of making this a regular sharing post then leave a comment below. Together we can achieve anything.

Hugs & Happy thoughts

Buffy xx

Quilting Crazy

 As I mentioned in my last post I took the plunge and entered my very first quilt into the Quilt & Stitch village competion.

My friends and I have been going for a few years now but none of us even dreamt of having a go.

But, I decided to make a pact with my friend Dawn, if she made a quilt I would to. 

I honestly thought neither of us would actually go ahead and enter, so when Dawn told me she was entering the traditional quilt catergory (with a Dresden quilt) I nearly fell off my chair.

I'm not the sort to back out of a challege, so it was head down and sketchpad out. Then I remembered I had never made a quilt before and went in search of a few "How to quilt" videos on youtube.

After a lot of swearing, crying, screaming and a few disasters, I fianlly had my quilt completed.

And here it is

 I called it "Dreaming of Japan", I went for the contemporary catergory

we went to Japan a few years ago and we really wanted to go back, but alas the borders got closed, like most places. 

So we are still dreaming.

(this photo was a little blurry so took another when I got it back home)

As I said earlier my friend Dawn also entered, she made a traditional catergory quilt, she called it "Dresden Sunburst"

I really think she did an amazing job. It's so jolly but also has a calmness to it. Anyway I think it's great and she is very proud.

Here are a few more quilt from the show that I really liked (unfortunately I forgot to make a note of all the names) :

 

 

Double Fibonacci by Eleanor Marsden

(I wish I could have taken this home, it satisfied the math/science part of my brain as well as the crafting side)


 

This quilt was called "Farewell Montreal" and was a group quilt put together by  Linda Forey. Each Maple leaf square was created by a different member of the group and given to her when she moved to Britain. (group quilt catergory)

But it is this quilt however that took my breath away

It is made up of tiny squares (about 0.5in) for the main picture, then Sashiko either side. I have searched the shows programme to try and work out the name of this peice and it's creators name but alas I am at an impass.

Just to give a closer look at the fine work that went into this.

 

This quilt was one from the themed catergory "Bring Literature to Life"

Lord of the flies by Marion Ridsdill

I especially like the little touch of dding a pair of damaged glasses to it.

 

 

This quilt was quite fascinating as it was very dimensional

(again I forgot the names)

 

 

 

 

Dawn and I were really proud of ourselves for taking the plunge and entering the competion, we may not have won rosettes but there is always next time 😉

Back soon with more sharing

Hugs & Happy thoughts

Buffy xx