More distress! So happy!

I was so pleased with my first needlebook made in the style of my vintage distressed cards that I spent yesterday sewing and made some more!

This one is listed on Folksy now!

http://www.folksy.com/items/2041541-Needle-Book?shop=yes

I think this style will work really well as makeup bags, and one lovely facebook lady said that she fancied a knitting needle case in this style!

Watch this space!

xxx

Distressed? I hope so!!

I really love my distressed vintage style cardcrafts and wanted to transfer that kind of imagery on to the fabric I am working with.  I like to look around my local waterfront antique shop and find things that still work perfectly for their intended use, but you KNOW that they've had a life, that they've been loved. So, to give my handstitched work that kind of feel I had a bit of a play, and I am so pleased with the finished product.



This gorgeous little needlebook is very simple at first glance but contains different layers, handprinted fabric both inside and out, with gentle distressing on the edges, and gorgeous hand printed pages to store the needles, and a handmade crystal tag on the spine.



There will definately be more to follow in this style - some darker, some romantic and whimsical like this one. I will also be including my own photographic images transfered to fabric as I have with other pieces so watch out for those!

You can find this little gem in my folksy shop here: http://www.folksy.com/items/2018957-Needle-Book?shop=yes

Hope you like my little creation!

xxx

Are you down with the (w)rapping?

It's been another fun filled week here on Zulu... With a reaction starting Monday morning that meant a stay in hospital and a LOT of drugs to kick it out, I'm now sitting up in bed tapping away on my much-missed Daddy's notebook as I can't sleep due to the guy angle grinding the boat he's building and the couple next door having mid morning rumpus! Fair play to them! lol!!

I hopped on to my facebook page for a while yesterday evening though after getting home from hospital (I'm totally addicted to hanging out with my floaty folk there!!) and it was worth it. Everyone cheered me up and I uploaded a couple of pairs of earings I made to my folksy shop ( http://www.littlefloatingcraftco.folksy.co/) and one lovely lady instantly bought a pair!  I popped another link to the last pair of the same (http://www.folksy.com/items/1937621-Bergundy-red-piezo-crystal-brass-earings?shop=yes) and had a new liker ask where I got my backing cards from! 



This isn't the first time I've been asked about the backing cards for my jewellery and it's such a compliment that people notice them enough and assume they're made professionally.  But, I cut them all by hand, I layer them with several colours of ink and stamping to distress and finish them, and I have a new passion for suade thonging to finish them off! I LOVE them!!

It all goes back to my upbringing you see.... When I was a kid there wasn't a vast amount of money floating around so presents were really thought about rather than extravagant and my mom in particular put so much effort in to the whole deal.  I remember once she made me a whole chair! An actual chair!! Out of an old solid thick card drum, and it was sooo beautiful. But as well as making it, she wrapped it.  Beautifully. I wish I had a picture to share with you.   My chair was deep burgundy velvet, with a braided trim with those old fashioned ornate brass rivets they used to put on furniture.  The inside was a gap I could store my cudlies.  It was amazing..  She did it with no money, in the late hours after we finally gave in and went to sleep, and with a huge amount of love. 

Nothing would ever just be stuck in some random paper with mum though.  There would be beautiful flowers, handmade dressings, all sorts to make the present so gorgeous that you almost didn't want to open it! She still does it. I love it and so do her friends!!

This is pretty much ingrained in me now.  I like to make the whole thing special... It might have butterflies or flowers, or pearls, or for Christmas - mini baubles and festoons of ribbon - but it will always be pretty! Except when it's for Mr W as he thinks it's silly and wouldn't care if his gift came in newspaper. Ironic, eh?

My favourite wrapping though? Brown paper and string! lol!!