So much fun!

Yep - that's what I've been having Thursday nights since the start of the year. I signed up for a Textiles evening class at my local University and it's fab!

I'm trained partly in Textiles and even teach Textiles but it is so much fun learning new techniques and having a bit of me time to play around and get creative!

So over the next few weeks I'll show you what I've been up to. To start here was my first attempt at screen printing with hand made paper stencils. Not too bad and I've got better, more ideas and not afraid to get messy!

My mess!


Hand drawn design paper stencil - this was tricky cutting out!


Screen printing in progress!


The end sample result!

Can it get any better than this!?

Can you guess what it is?

Today one of my lovely work friends gave me this lovely lot on return from Oz!


Regular readers will know my all time favourite biscuit that I discovered on holiday in Australia - The Tim Tam.
This little lot will last me forever (I have not found anywhere in the UK near me that sells them) and they come in their own bag. Look you can't even see to the bottom!

Hello blog - sorry it's been so long

Yay - I'm back!
Apologies for the longer than anticipated break, and thanks to those of you who have been emailing and popping on by (but not seeing much going on!)
Hopefully all is back to some normality.

Still busy with the day job but slowly getting around to other things as well....
Such as this fab swap package that arrived on Saturday. Lots of lovely little goodies! Thanks Figino!


Can't wait for my partner to receive her parcel - hopefully she likes everything.

Dear Blog,
I am sorry to have abandoned you lately but life is a little bit hectic round here at the moment!
I will be back, hopefully soon, you are not forgotten and things will get back to normal.
Please don't worry ~ Pink Stitches

P.S Thanks to anonymous with the offer of TimTam's! Would email but not reply address.

What a start to the week!!

The vision of a calm, lovely start to the week has not gone to plan :o(

Monday was my birthday - Yay!
Monday I did my back in again and now it's slowly getting worse!
Monday my boiler broke and now have no hot water or heating!
Tuesday back even worse, still no hot water or heating, busy at work but a lovely present arrived!

This lovely Cath Kidston bag was filled with goodies! (Will take photos when it is not pitch black!)


Let's hope the rest of the week runs smoothly! Fingers crossed.

Promise I will get back to posting about craft and hand made goodies rather than life traumas!

New direction

Over the past couple of weeks my craft has moved in a slightly different direction and one that I am really excited about, as it has given me loads of new ideas!
I'll post more about that this week!

To go alongside this new enthusiasm I purchased this lovely book yesterday - Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin. It has great photos, instructions and ideas!

So what was inside the parcel?

A while a go I posted about a lovely parcel that I received. The packaging itself was lovely but inside it was gorgeous! My new Orla Kiely bag!



Loving that design!

Biscuit Emergency!

After spending a Summer in Australia a couple of years ago I discovered the best ever
biscuits!

xx Tim Tams xx


Luckily enough when people visit Oz they kindly think of me and bring back lovely goodies. However these are my last pack and I'm trying to make them last but it's not easy!

It's Pink and sounds oh so good!!

I love TV and spend far too many hours watching it! When I'm working I have it on in the background and then tend to find myself sat watching it rather than working!
So this year I invested in this cool Pure One mini DAB radio. Digital radios are great - It is so good not having to tune in the stations plus I can plug the I pod in as well.
An A* investment!

Finito!

I've finally got round to finishing a project in 2009! Plus I've found a really cool website thanks to Betz White.

So here is my finished project made from all those card circles. I love it! I got the pattern download for Paper Globes from the very cool Heather Bailey.




If you click on the scrapblog you can view another page! The hours of fun I will have with this!

Help!!
As you can see I've been playing around with my blog template, but anyone know how to get my blog picture in the centre? It is really annoying me!
Any help appreciated!

~~Pink Stitches~~

After being ill for Christmas and New Year I decided a needed a little treat!
So this lovely looking parcel arrived mid January. I'll show you the gorgeous item that was inside later but how clever is the packaging!


Cut out the handle and hey presto a cool bag!

WIP

A while a go I had lots of these....


That have now turned into this....



and hopefully by tomorrow it will be a finished item!

Yippee!

It's another ....


However I am doing some day job work and hopefully by this afternoon I may be through my pile of "To Do's" and get onto something a bit different.

SLUSH

That's about it for today - just lots and lots of slush!!
The snow has melted.....but we are on snow watch again!! There is supposedly, when listening to the TV and radio going to be at least 10cm in my area over night!

Caught this lovely blue sky a couple of days ago.

Did I hear it was 2009?

Blimey! Not sure where the end of 2008 or the start of the 2009 went!
(Apart from having a cold, then the flu, then a stomach bug, I was slightly fed up!)

Glad to be back and to start the month of feb a snow day!!

Changes

Hello there! (So much to catch up on and talk about but for today an explanation)
I have been pondering about this for a while and now I've decided to put the plan into action!
My dilemma - two blogs CraftyB and Pink Stitches.
When I get round to selling my goodies I do so under the name of Pink Stitches, I have changed Flickr to Pink Stitches, therefore as you can partly see I am going to be changing the blog to Pink Stitches!

Does all that make sense!?!
So hopefully as of tomorrow you will only be able to access my blog through pink-stitches.blogspot.com

I do hope that all my fab readers follow me over!
Pink Stitches xx

Happy Christmas!

It's been snowing!
Originally uploaded by Crafty B

It's been forever since I've visited my blog!!
What with the start of November presenting me with a cold, that turned into another cold that turned into the flu that I have only just got rid of!
Yep no mojo at all around here!
I have not been posting nor have I been keeping up to date with what everyone else is up to! I have a lot to catch up on!
This will be the last post of 2008. I am hoping for a germ free, relaxing holiday ready and raring for a refreshed outlook on 2009!!

So to everyone have a Happy, Healthy Christmas and sending Crafty Wishes for 2009. x

(Photo from April 08 - yes April!! If only to wake up to this on Christmas day!)

Product update!!

Hi!!
Apologies but this blog has been slightly abandoned as I have been keeping up my daily blog at Crafty B!

Will be updating some of my shops soon - here is a preview!

Tutorial revival!

Hi - apologies for the unexpected time out. It was needed!
I have been busy putting together a few things for Christmas, one project is more of my fabric covered buttons and fabric covered button magnets.



These make great little presents.
So for all newbies blog readers and if you fancy a go yourself here is a tutorial revival that I originally posted last June! Enjoy!



Leafletter is a great interactive tool for tutorials so get clicking and it will take you through each stage. As this is a tutorial revival they are no longer a giveaway! Sorry!

(P.S - Pink Stitches is the name that I sell my hand made goodies under - just in case you were wondering!)

Bubble wrap!

I've seen bubble wrap used in textiles a few times and this was an amazing piece of work that was on display at the Knit and Stitch show!

That Monday morning feeling!

Not a good start to the day...I was a bit like Donald!!
Thank goodness for the RAC!!

Cloud + rain - sunshine = poor photos!!

Trying to take photos of projects at this time of the year I always find difficult. I don't have a fancy camera just a bog standard digital one, but today out came the hand book and I had a little play moving away from the Auto mode, changing lighting, ISO speed etc and they came out much better than usual. I always find the colour different in my photos to real life. Still not 100% but better! Any tips or suggestions much appreciated!
Here are a couple of shots of my new cotton yarn.

Handmade Holidays!!

If you're not familiar with the fab blog, shop and forums at Sew, Mama, Sew then I suggest you go check it out!
November sees the start of their Handmade Holidays!! Lots of great ideas, tutorials, links and giveaways!!

(Photo of my pumpkin last year before stuffing, cooking and eating!)