A Date With Mrs S, My Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine

One evening last week, Hubby B went out for a works dinner and Baby B ditched me for the comfort of his bed and a sleepy cuddle with his 'Gina the giraffe.' In true 'get to it' style, I decided on a date with Mrs S and the Great British Sewing Bee. I reluctantly add here that I also caught up on Made in Chelsea. I don't watch much TV but we all have our guilty pleasures.

My aim for the evening was to use some of Baby B's craft papers and cut lots of shapes to keep in a crafty tin for future sticky collage sessions. Here are the papers I used which were a mix of bright neon shades and some matt colours.

This is the result. Lots of lovely little shapes to prompt a bit of imagination and creativity

It got me thinking that I might bag up a few collections of die cut shapes to sell for additions to childrens craft boxes. I'm in the process of having a mass clear out of craft stuff and a huge tidy up to get organised. For now, I've stored Baby B's die cuts in this doggy tin which I've put in his arts and crafts box.

I love that every time he sees it he says 'bic bic' then I explain its just a doggy tin and he says 'woof woof'. Maybe I can convince him that NONE of the biscuit tins have biscuits in them. Or is that wishful thinking?

Mrs Crafty B

Mr Bumble and the Flowers

In our home, there is a great love of flowers. Hubby B likes to read about them and grow them, I like to see them nodding at me from the garden until the boys bring me some indoors to enjoy, Baby B likes to sniff them and say 'flower' a bit like Bambi and Mr Bumble, well we all know that flowers are a life for bee's. Here he is enjoying some of the spring blooms and a few other plants that we have dotted about in random pots and buckets.

It's possible you may have spotted another member of our family on the conservatory roof. That's Tess the 'little cat'. Maybe some more on her another time!

Mrs Crafty B

Mr Bumble at the Zoo

Here at our place today, nothing seems to be working efficiently, including me! It's nap time (which nowadays is very short) so I thought I'd quickly share with you Mr Bumble gatecrashing our trip to Linton Zoo at the weekend.

Here he is with the Lions. Baby B ran around shouting RRAAAARRR just to educate us on the ways of these beasts.

With a snow leopard...

Enjoying a spot of lunch...

Visiting the owls. Here we also saw some cuckoo burrows. They were silent until Baby B did some shouting and really loud pretend laughing which set them off into a frenzy and their 'laughing' noises stopped Baby B in his tracks. It was very amusing to see his little face so shocked. 

Here he is with a massive tortoise...

and a zebra.

Unfortunately I didn't get a pic of him with the lemurs. When we saw them we sang 'I like to move it' which the lemurs in madagascar dance to. It sent Baby B off into a display of very cool dancing and singing and he got so excited, he grabbed the legs of the nearest person not realising it wasn't his Grandad. When we ask Baby B what the crocodile says he slaps his hands together and shouts 'NAP' which I love so I was gutted to miss his reaction when Grandad put his head inside the mouth of a crocodile sculpture. I had run off to the ladies. Pregnancy woes. 

All in all it was a fab day, made better by Baby B shouting 'BEE' every time Mr Bumble made an appearance and him saying 'flower' ever more clearly as he picked the daisies.

Love, love, love him. He is my drive for everything. In fact, when we returned home, we combined bee and flowers to take some pictures of Mr Bumble with our home grown flowers and plants, which are everywhere. More of that another time.

Mrs Crafty B

Meet the Maker: Hannah of Make, Do and Push!

During my first year in the bloggy world, I met the lovely Hannah over at Make, Do and Push! I have followed her journey from pregnancy photo shoots to the current teething stage of her little Baby Bea. I cannot wait to see Bea's very special nursery which is being lovingly created by her Mummy and today, she is sharing some of the items that she has crafted.

Introducing the lovely Hannah....

Firstly, two very important questions.

Tea or coffee? 
Tea (I can't drink coffee since working in a coffee shop at the age of 15 and being allowed as much free coffee as I liked!) I like my tea strong, no sugar.

Biscuit or cake? 
Cake… although I do love a good chocolate orange biscuit!

So, tell us a bit about yourself. 
My name is Hannah and I live in the quaint (and slightly bizarre) town of Lewes in East Sussex, with my fiancé Nick and our 3 and a bit month old Beatrice. Since having Bea I've decided that I want a small army of children, and I'm currently trying to persuade Nick that we can fit one in between now and our wedding next October (2014). I blog over at Make, Do and Push! which is my outlet for all things baby and craft. When I'm not on maternity leave I work as a Business Manager…less said about that the better I feel. Anyway, I love being creative; be it writing, crafting or baking.

...and what about the item that you are sharing with us? 
I'm sharing a few things I've made for Bea's nursery. I decided upon a woodland theme for her nursery after finding some awesome hedgehog and owl fabric in IKEA when I was pregnant.
1. The collage canvases: I love rabbits and I'm a bit obsessed with hedgehogs at the moment too, so thought it would be cute to make these. I found the canvases for £1 each and used a combination of paint, paper and felt to create them.
2. Embroidery hoop wall-hanging: I recently saw one of these on Instagram and thought it was such a great idea that I did a step-by-step blog post about how to make the one in this photo. It's so simple! I've made my mum one for her birthday next week.
3. Pebble hedgehogs: I actually made these for our engagement party (Rustic Autumn theme), but thought they'd go well in Bea's nursery. We used to make ladybird versions of these with my mum when I was little - they make great doorstops!
4. Felt animals: I'm in the middle of making a mobile for the nursery, but thought I'd include these in the photo as I love the fox! I'm pretty proud of them as well as made the patterns for them myself - I spent a lot of my third trimester sewing on the sofa watching One Born Every Minute to try and de-sensitise myself from the impending labour…

How long have you been crafting and how did you learn? 
I've been crafting all my life - I've always enjoyed being creative. My mum would always do crafty things with us on rainy days; from fimo to glass painting. However, it's only in the last two-three years that I've started making things for other people. I started sewing lessons two years ago as hadn't been near a sewing machine since school, and was a little terrified, but I'm now whizzing away - and these days - with minimal swearing!

When did you start Make, Do and Push! and why? 
Before Make, Do and Push! I had a crafty blog that I updated about once a month… I then started Make, Do and Push! in October 2012 as I wanted to document my pregnancy and share my journey with other people; I hoped people would read my blog and come away from it having learnt something, or at least laughed! From there it was only natural to integrate my crafting and baking - rather than having two blogs.

What inspires and motivates you? 
Bea is my muse at the moment. I also love taking photos and using them as inspiration - especially with the whole woodland theme. Oh, and Pinterest - it's a wealth of crafty inspiration and ideas! People's responses to my work motivate me; it may be a bit silly, but a compliment can make my day.

Any crafting heroes? 
The legend that is Kirstie Allsopp, and the wonderful Cath Kidston - who started off the brand by making tea towels out of vintage fabric.

Do you have a crafting space? 
Pre-Bea I had a crafting room… now I have a desk and a few shelves in our bedroom. I have far too much stuff though and really do need my own space - I have dreams of a studio at the bottom of the garden one day…!

Any big plans for 2013?
Finish Bea's nursery. Then I'm going to start planning our wedding - which is going to be heavily DIY!

So can we join you in your virtual world? 
Yes please do - I'm a bit of a social media whore!www.makedoandpush.co.uk , @theREALjeevesy , www.facebook.com/makedoandpushI'm also an Instagram addict… add me as makedoandpush 

Finally, some quick fire questions.

Favourite colour? 
Blue or purple

The best season?
Autumn - I love the colours and crunchy leaves!

Your favourite food? 
Cheese! There's nothing like baked camembert and freshly baked bread.

The best day of the week? 
Friday. I love it when Nick gets home from work and I hand him a G&T - that's when the weekend really begins!

What is the best word?
Erdbeere (which means strawberry in German - I have a bit of a thing about German words) I also like the word "malarkey"

Favourite place? 
Tucked up in bed, with Nick, Bea and a cup of tea!

Your biggest achievement?
Beatrice (obviously!)I also directed a full-length play in three weeks (including casting) at University which sold out both nights… rather proud of that!

What a lovely read. Thank you so much Hannah. I'm sure everyone will be gatecrashing your virtual places if they haven't been already.

Mrs Crafty B

The Liebster Award

Back in January, the lovely Hannah of Make, Do and Push, nominated me for the Liebster Award. For reasons which you all know of, I didn't blog much in the last couple of months but I'm ready to do this now so here it is.

The Liebster Award is for bloggers with fewer than 300 followers. A blogger nominates 11 fellow bloggers and asks them a set of 11 questions. The rules state that a nominee must link back to the blogger from whom they received a nomination. The nominee will write 11 random facts about themselves and then answer the 11 questions which have been set for them. They in turn will nominate another 11 bloggers and pose 11 questions to them. This is a really fun way to discover and connect with new bloggers and help us all gain some new followers along the way.

So here are 11 random facts about me:
1. I'm a bit slap-dash. A little all over the place. A bit forgetful. But I always get things done and I'm a bit of a perfectionist. My own worst critic.
2. I once stopped Hubby B from getting Sean Bean's autograph because I didn't want him to interrupt his breakfast. We were eating breakfast in the back room of a VERY quiet Sheffield pub and one of Hubby's acquaintances came through the back door with his Uncle. His Uncle stood over us looking at pictures on the wall whilst we chatted and then sat a couple of tables away. After I declared my dismay at being leant over during breakfast, Hubby decided he should tell me who the 'Uncle' was. I wasn't really that in awe. I just wanted to eat my breakfast. We said hello when we left though. He was having a fag outside.
3. I have a degree in Linguistics with Heritage Studies. I applied to train as a speech and language therapist but I didn't get onto the course. I've never reapplied but maybe one day in the future..
4. My late paternal Grandad owned the last 'traditional' sweet shop in Luton. Complete with the big tubs of pineapple and cola cubes! He used to live above the shop and his front room was just behind the counter. When we visited I used to sit in the tall till chair and press the buttons on the till and help serve the customers.
5. I am a huge organisation freak and I love a bit of a sort out and a bit of filing! I also have a bit of a love of stationery...but let's not go into that one.
6. I'm a spring chicken. I love the start of Autumn but then I go into a sort of unmotivated, hibernating type state of mind. When the spring comes and the sun shines, I am happy and bouncy and motivated and spend every day out and about. I love it.
7. I love people. Even when they annoy me. I love to analysis people and figure out why they are the way they are. I love to help people in any way I can even if they aren't very grateful. I think experience makes people and people make their experience in this life what it is.
8. The world confuses me. I don't understand unkind acts. I want to take over the world with a 'Just be Kind' campaign.
9. I'm frightened of spiders and black holes. I don't think this needs anymore explaining.
10. I don't like the concept of hobby. A hobby is consider to be something you enjoy doing in your free time. I thing all of our time should be spent doing things we enjoy.
11. I'm a bit obsessed with professionalism and customer service. Ok. A LOT obsessed. My working background is customer and client focussed and I think this should be the focus of EVERY service. Including staff in shops who treat customers like dirt. Put a smile on your face and treat everyone with kindness and respect. If not because you are paid to do so then because you are a decent human being. (Even if the customer isn't very nice YOU still can be.)

Here are the 11 questions set for me by Hannah:
1. What is your favourite colour and why?
My favourite colour is green. It reminds me of spring and the outdoors, new life and freshness. It's a great background for any colour. Just look at all the pretty flowers in the grass!
2. Which three guests would you invite to your fantasy dinner party (can be dead or alive)?
Difficult one. It would have to be Frank Sinatra (no explanation required), Michael Buble (what a laugh) and the Queen (inspiring).
3. If you could be someone else for the day who would you be?
Mmm I'd love to say someone influential like the Queen or Prime Minister but I don't know if I could take the pressure and to be perfectly honest, I'm happy just being me. Although if I was Prime Minister I could introduce 'The Kindness Campaign' and penalties for those who don't follow the rules! Could I do that in a day?
4. Where is your "happy place"? 
With my husband and son. Wherever we are.
5. What is your most treasured possession?
In the past, I would have probably have said a locket that was given to me by my late Grandad, but nowadays I try not to place too much value on material things. This has come from the reigning in of my hoarding and becoming so content with the most important people in my life. I would like to think that if I lost all material possession I would still have what I treasure the most in my little family.
6. What is your favourite blog post that you've written?
My first ever blog post. It represents my starting something that is just for me, the way I want it. It is my  little world to create and share as I please.
7. What is your biggest regret?
I don't believe in regret.
8. What is your greatest achievement?
Baby B. Going from a depressive teen with a broken family to the amazing, happy life I lead now with my hubby and my boy will always be my biggest achievement but Baby B marks the completion of that turn around. Not to say there won't be more additions with another little one on the way!
9. Red, white or rose wine?
How am I suppose to answer this. All of them. Different occasions. A warm summer evening calls for white or rose right? An evening in front of the TV calls for red. I've no favourite. Can't do it. No answer. Fail.
10. What is your favourite book?
Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell. Everybody must read this book.
11. What five words would you use to sum you up?
Enthusiastic, unassuming, talkative, sprightly and obliging

Here are the 11 blogger that I am nominating. I couldn't see how many followers some of you had so apologies if you have more than 300 or if you have already been nominated.
1. tangerine trees and marmalade skies
2. The diary of a Novice Crafter
3. Scott Dykes
4. Mummy Bee Knows Best
5. Virtual Rhiality
6. Bead it and Weep
7. Rebecca Scambler
8. Just The Way We Want To
9. Mama Owl
10. Christmas Pie Crafts
11. The view from here

Here are your questions.
1. What is your favourite food or cuisine?
2. Which is your favourite season and why?
3. Who or what inspires you in life?
4. What have you achieved today?
5. What is your favourite word?
6. If you could pack a bag today and fly to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
7. What's your favourite song?
8. What is you biggest achievement in life so far?
9. If you could gift any person with anything, who and what would it be and why?
10. What one word best describes you?
11. What is your most memorable experience?

Mrs Crafty B

Happy Easter Cross Stitch

I've never really done a big cross stitch project but I like doing these little ones. Didn't take too long and I wanted to give Hubby B something flower related due to his gardening obsession :) 

Here is a little pic to wish you all Happy Easter as well.

I hope you are all having a lovely long weekend and enjoying Easter in whichever way suits you and your families. 

Mrs Crafty B

More Crocheted Easter Chicks

You may remember this little guy from a blog post last Easter.

This was my first none stuffed prototype which I left empty to hide a little gift. I made some for family and sent them for Easter gifts and kept this one for Baby B. This one was crocheted using acrylic yarn and so this year I decided to make another one from 4ply cotton yarn. 

Here they are together. Baby B has been playing with them this morning. Can you guess what they are hiding?

 Obviously is was a Cadbury's Creme Egg! It's really hard not to eat the egg whilst using it for a guide!

I hope you enjoy my little chicks :). Perhaps if I start now I'll have a family of them for next year!

Mrs Crafty B

Decoupage Easter Eggs

Here is a bit more Easter Crafting for you. I have labelled this as crafts for children because it is so simple and easy to do and I know that you can get some fab little models in Hobbycraft etc for doing decoupage.

Ok, confession time: 

I actually bought these eggs last Easter, but you know me, I never got round to finishing them. Actually, starting them. I never got round to starting them! Eek. That is actually terrible considering these took me two hours in total on Good Friday!

Ok so step one, get a cup of tea. I then tore all of my tissue papers up first and place them in little tubs. I did buy some lovely Decopatch papers but before I used them, I coated the eggs with some cheap tissue papers in co-ordinating colours. They weren't colour fast and I can see why people spend out on quality papers but I wanted to make sure that if the Decopatch papers turned out through, I didn't get the brown egg colour. 

I needn't have worried. I used one layer of Decopatch papers on each half  and had loads left. Only the little one had some light colours on the pattern through which you could see the purple tissue paper. 

Despite a LOT of research into the best glue for the job, and whether it was worth spending out on 'special decoupage' glue, I just used general cheap clear PVA and it did the job for something that isn't being handled a lot. There were so many conflicting opinions on the net and I figured trial and error would be the best way to find out. I would probably use something a bit better with a sealing agent in it if I was doing more decoupage, especially if it was something being handled a lot like a keyring. Lets face it, I probably will do some more at some point! So quick, easy and effective.

Overall, some lessons learned and a discovery of a very easy and adaptable craft. Yey :-)

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the process, the finished products and a picture of them on display in my kitchen/diner.

Mrs Crafty B

p.s. Please have sympathy for my one eared sheep :-(

Hanging Easter Eggs

This afternoon Baby B and friends helped get us all in the Easter mood. As they are a bit young for egg painting (think cracked eggs once they've been dropped) I thought maybe some egg shaped cereal box cut outs, some paint, glue and different bits of tissue paper would go down well.

I was right. Messy, but enjoyed.

I helped out a bit. I cut out the egg shapes, provided bowls of tissue papers in little bits, strips and scrunched up balls and I gave the egg shapes a first coat of silver paint.

Away they went! They each made one large egg and three little ones whoch i strung together. As you can imagine, I couldn't take pictures during our activity but here are some before and after pics :)

Mrs Crafty B

A Guide to Crochet: Casting on with a slip knot

Now you have your yarn and your hook as shown in the introduction, we can take a look at how to cast on using a slip knot. This will form the start of your chain from which your work will grow. Don't worry, we are going to take it one step at a time.

Slip Knot
There are many pictures and videos on the internet which show different ways of doing it. I have provided pictures with the yarn laid out on its own and in context in my hands to demonstrate it in different ways depending on your preference.

Here is the yarn on its own.

And here it is in my hands 

Once you have pulled the yarn through the loop on your finger, pull the yarn tight but not too tight. You will need to pull the hook back through when we start chaining.

Up next, how to make your foundation chain for crocheting in rows.

Mrs Crafty B

Meet the Maker: Mitali Peckham of Baby Treasures

In September 2012, I held a crafts fair to raise money for the Rosie Hospital at Addenbrookes in Cambridge. One of the stall holders, Mitali, was happy to take part in 'Meet the Maker.' Here is what she is sharing with us.

Firstly, two very important questions.

Tea or coffee?
Tea – without milk, actually just hot water with a tea bag briefly dunked in.

Biscuit or cake? 
Jaffa cakes – somewhere in the middle!

So, tell us a bit about yourself. 
My name is Mitali Peckham and when I am not busy with my four wonderful children I run my business called Baby Treasures – a unique collection of handmade personalised gifts for babies and children. My children all go to school in Cambridge and I am a parent governor at one school and work as a learning mentor at another. There is occasionally time to do the hoovering and hang the washing out!

...and what about the item that you are sharing with us? 
Baby Treasures signature design – my washable fabric photo books. Customers send me a selection of photographs which are special for their little one and captions to go alongside each photograph and I create a child-friendly photo book for them. The photos and captions are printed onto fabric and then pages are sewn together with fleece lining in the middle. When the pages are finished they are then sewn together to produce the book. It was really important to me that the book had a soft, cuddly feel to it so that it would be appealing to little ones and I also spent a long time sourcing the perfect fabric which I could print on and which would be washable. I wanted the books to at least be washable by hand so that their owners can enjoy browsing through them without anyone feeling stressed if they need cleaning. I started making photo books a little bit like this when my eldest child was very young – he (like all babies & young children, I think) loved looking at photos of himself and his family / friends and most especially photographs which included him in photos of his loved ones. Originally I made family photo albums and then the concept extended to fabric books telling my children’s life stories. What I enjoy enormously about making photo books for other people is seeing how they use the idea to create such imaginative little books – some people include photos of family who live abroad so their child can feel close to them, some people document a particular special event like the arrival of a sibling or a birthday and some people just include pictures of objects / places which are important to their child. Someone has approached me recently about creating a fabric book which tells a story they have made up for their child which I think sounds wonderful. I like my photo books for being an unusual way of sharing photographs with children – there are so many similar products which work in the adult world but not any that are child-friendly. But most of all I like that every photo book I make is important to the child it is made for because it is made especially for them.

How long have you been sewing and how did you learn? 
I suppose my Mum taught me really - she helped me make clothes etc. when I was a teenager but I think I started creating more things when I began teaching and wanted to design my own resources to support various classroom activities. Once I had my own children I made them no end of things – cuddly toys / story sacks from their favourite stories, books from their curtain material, Christmas stockings large enough for them to fit into etc. which I made up as I went along really!

When did you start Baby Treasures and why? 
I began selling my designs formally a couple of years ago – lots of friends had encouraged me in the past to go into business selling some of the things I’d made for my own children and I’d always wanted to have a go. I also think it is lovely for little children to be able to enjoy photos in a format which is child-friendly so I wanted to make the concept available to other little children as well as my own.

What inspires and motivates you? 
I love the idea of little babies and children being surrounded by objects which are very meaningful to them and make them feel cosy & loved and I’m inspired by knowing how much my own children loved the things I made them. Motivation is easy to come by when customers come back with stories about how their little one carries their photo book with them everywhere they go or can’t sleep without their comfort blanket I have made ☺

Any crafting heroes? 
More business heroes really, a range of people who have managed to take the seed of an idea that was precious to them and turn it into a reality that other people want to buy into. For example? Julie Deane of the Cambridge Satchel Company or Sophie Cornish & Holly Tucker of Not on the High Street.

Do you have a crafting space? 
I work in my kitchen at my beautiful large granite island! In an ideal world I would love a room to work in but we couldn’t manage that so instead we installed a large island which doubles as a cutting table and there is enough room to cook one side, do homework at another side and I can still carry on working. There are cupboards with all my stock and equipment underneath so even though I can’t leave everything out all the time, everything is still very easy to access.

Any big plans for 2013? 
To work on the next stage of my patent application for my photo books – its been a great learning curve as I have no experience in this field but I am keen to lay my claim to my concept if I can!!

So can we join you in your virtual world? 
Please do! Visit www.babytreasures.eu where you can design your own fabric photo book by uploading your photos and text and choosing the colour of the text and the hanging ribbon. Or go to www.facebook.com/babytreasures www.twitter.com/MitaliPeckham

Here are some quick fire questions that we are dying to know the answers to.

Favourite colour? 
Duck egg blue / turquoise – my turquoise coat makes it easy for the children to find me in the playground!

The best season? 
Summer – light evenings, kids playing in the garden, no need to wear gloves .... need I say more?

Your favourite food? 
My parents’ curries

The best day of the week? 
Saturday - when I don’t have to rush around 4 schools to drop off the kids and can have a lie in!

What is the best word? 
Unity (in diversity) – if everyone in the world truly tried to uphold this principle & work together while respecting others’ differences & opinions, the world would be a better place ☺

Favourite place?
Sitting in front of our fire snuggled up with the family

Your biggest achievement? 
My children ☺

Since Baby B was born, I have been wondering how to make a child friendly photo album, resorting to pockets inside felt pages but this is a fab idea. A big thanks for Mitali for taking the time to answer these questions and allowing us to be a bit nosy. I loved the answer the 'What is the best word' as I feel the same way

Mrs Crafty B

A Thank You Blog Post

As I am writing up some blog posts featuring some crochet tutorials, the thought crossed my mind of how to say thank you to someone who helped me out.

Last year I developed a set of crochet instructions based on what I couldn't find on the internet. I wanted to publish these but as I used them alongside demonstrations, I didn't know how use friendly they would be. I asked my Twitter followers if anyone would like to try them out. @VirtualRhia stepped up and offered to look at them as she has just started out in the world of crochet. She offered some great feedback and I really appreciate the time she took.

I hope you like my tutorials Rhia :-)

You can visit Rhia at www.virtual-rhiality.com.

Mrs Crafty B

A Guide to Crochet: Introduction

Welcome to the start of my crochet tutorials!

I hope to provide an easy to follow, step by step guide, trouble shooting difficulties that I know some people have including reading patterns. Let's start with a little intro to your new hobby.

Crochet is the French word for 'hook.' Lots and lots of people enjoy the craft of crochet which is the art of using a single 'crochet hook' and some form of thread, yarn or wire in order to create pieces of work. These might include toys, brooches, clothes and blankets. There is no limit to the uses of crochet and we will delve further into uses later on. Here are a couple of things that I have crocheted. You can see more in this Facebook photo album.

Although crochet is extremely popular today, there is much debate around when and where it started. The first thing to consider is what you need. Aside from my crochet tutorials, you will need some form of yarn and a hook. Hooks come in many different sizes, materials and some are double ended. Here are a few of my hooks.

You can find hooks all over the internet or local haberdashery stores or departments. Here is a link to one such place. Don't rush to buy your hook yet though. First choose your yarn. The size of your yarn will decide what size hook you will need and to make this easy, most yarns will say on the label what size hook is required or recommended. You need to consider what kind of yarn is best for the project you are working on i.e. acrylic, cotton, wool. We will revisit this later. For now, any patterns you are following should state what type of yarn and what size hook you will need. For purposes of these tutorials, I am using a 4ply crochet cotton and a 3mm crochet hook. Here is a link to the cotton that I am using.

So go ahead and get your ball of cotton and hook and I'll see you back here for your first steps to crochet.

Mrs Crafty B

Meet the Maker: Lucy Burrows of Rough Type

When I saw that a friend from university had opened her very own Etsy store, I couldn't wait to get her to do a meet the maker interview. Please make sure you check out her virtual world. It's most definitely worth a look. 

Firstly, two very important questions.

Tea or coffee?
Coffee. But only one a day. White with a dash of sugar as a treat. Once my quota is up I go onto fruit or green tea.

Biscuit or cake? 
A biscuit. Not really into either but if I had to it would be a Party Ring or a Hob Nob.

Tell us all about you.
My name is Lucy and I’m from a town just outside of York. By day I am an Estate Agent for a family run rural agency. By night and by weekend, other than when I'm out dancing, drinking something fizzy, out with the dog and generally enjoying what life throws at me, I paint, print and make things. I set up a creative small business at the end of 2012 called Rough Type. The aim is to try and sell my art work and expand and hopefully do well. My main thing is typography and word art but I have been known to dabble in other bits and bobs like photography and painting in general. Alongside my online shop on Etsy, I also set up a blog called tangerine trees and marmalade skies. On this I discuss my work, what I've been up to and general arty, fashiony, photography related things I've seen and heard about.

What about the item that you are sharing with us? 
The item I am sharing is my first piece, kind of like my classic design. It was this piece that sparked rough type as so many people saw it in my kitchen and said I should try and sell the idea. Its basically a collection of words and names, unique to the individual, jumbled up with other letters. So at first glace it appears to be nonsense. This particular one was the first one I did and it was for my husband and myself for our kitchen. I discuss with the client what they want, words, ideas, colours, size etc and take it from there. It is hand printed using sponge stamps with paint that can be acrylic, emusion, water colour whatever. All depends on getting the right colours and texture. I like art where you can feel something and every piece is unique. This idea then spawned into song lyrics from someone’s first dance, words related to someone’s year of birth. The possibilities are endless.

How long have you been painting and how did you learn? 
I studied art at school and college, mainly painting and the usuals; but I was always drawn to colour and abstract work. In college I discovered illustration and my tutors liked my untidy, scrappy writing so encouraged me to put words alongside my work. I also developed a love of photography and started to explore type over photographs. A change of heart led me to University and to a different discipline (Linguistics, still word related…) and the art dried up unfortunately. After I moved back to the York area and got settled I started to paint again for friends and family and as time has gone on I’ve made more time for it again. I got married last year and finished doing up my house so winter 2012 seemed like the obvious time to start rough type. 

When did you start Rough Type and why? 
I started rough type in winter 2012 to try and sell my work and my ideas. Its very basic at the moment, just 3 types of work for sale but I'm working on a range of cards and also debating selling some prints as a side line.

What inspires and motivates you?
It sounds cheesy and obvious…but everything! I’m really lucky in that I have a big thirst for life and I am, by nature, a very positive person. I love the simple things in life like sunny days, walks with the dog and a good song on the radio. I get inspiration from lots of things in everyday life, but my attention is grabbed by font, art, fashion and old buildings. I take photos of everything as well. What motivates me to work is the thought that one day I may be able to do this, and only this. If I work hard and just crack it.

Any crafting heroes? 
My heroes range from Freddie Mercury and Dolly Parton to Coco Chanel & Marc Jacobs. All creative walks of life. No real crafting heroes…ooops. But from an art point of view it has to be Jackson Pollock.

Do you have a crafting space?
We have a study and I have a big glass desk (I always dreamed of having one) with a collection of Vogues from 2007 onwards, boxes of ideas and inspirations and photographs on. On the wall I have a pin board with cards and pictures on too. And you don’t want to see what’s underneath (everything…paint, card, brushes and an old tv.) This summer however my creative space will be changed into a nursery for our first baby. So my art life will be moved into several boxes which will live under the spare bed and when I've had a couple of weeks off the kitchen table will become my space.

Any big plans for 2013? 
Personally, baby is my number one big plan! Along with spending as much time with my lovely husband. Work wise, Im going to keep painting and printing as much as I can, launch my card range and start trying to spread the word a little more locally. I’m all about supporting local businesses and I am lucky enough to live in a market town where everyone else feels the same so I would like to get some other businesses to promote and support me too.

So can we join you in your virtual world?
You can find rough type on:

Facebook page: rough type
Shop: www.etsy.co.uk/shop/roughtype
Blog: www.thetangerinetreesandmarmaladeskies.blogspot.co.uk
And my personal/ work Twitter: ilovelucyv
And personal/ work Instagram: tagerinetreesandmarmaladesky

Finally, some quick fire questions that we are dying to know the answers to.

Favourite colour?
Pink.

The best season? 
Autumn. Although I'm a sucker for spring and the flowers and blossom.

Your favourite food? 
Pizza and garlic bread.

The best day of the week? 
Friday.

What is the best word? 
Don’t have one!

Favourite place?
If I could be anywhere again it would be on the beach in Malibu with my husband. I left a big piece of my heart there. A little bit of my heart also lives in the Dordogne area of France where I spent my summer’s as a child, there’s a piece of it in Hull where I was born and all my family still live and a bit on the cliffs next to St Mary’s Church in Whitby, one of my favourite places in the UK.

Your biggest achievement? 
I don’t have one in particular. Sometimes I pinch myself when I realise what I have and what I’ve done though. I’m one lucky girl.

I can't wait to have a long awaited catch up with Miss Lucy but I will make sure I stay updated with her Rough Type venture.

Mrs Crafty B

Craft Therapy

This morning I have been thinking about craft as therapy. This has been prompted by a family member I saw at the weekend.

Most crafters will say that their hobbies are a 'time out', time for themselves, an escape from the stresses of work etc and some will say that they use craft to keep them out from under a dark cloud but how aware are we of how creative therapy is used to help with mental health issues such as schizophrenia?

For as long as I can remember, a member of my family has lived with schizophrenia and for as long as I can remember, that person has painted. I used to sit with them playing with water colours as a young girl. At that age, I was never aware of any mental health issues. As I got older, I am aware that this person used to go to woodwork group therapy sessions and it was only last year, when I caught up with them that I realised how much art therapy played a part in their lives.

This person isn't one for small talk but upon asking about some books that I noticed, I could not shut them up! I was then shown some sketches that brought a tear to my eye. I was told how these particular sketches were representative of certain parts of their mind and the personification was thought provoking. I am now more aware of how how art therapy plays a part in their treatment and the fact that it is available on the NHS as readily as drugs is surely testament to the benefits of arts and crafts and the positive effect it can have on mental health. The craft aspect aside, group therapies promote positive social interaction in a relaxed controlled environment.

Mental health aside, a creative outlet for everyone must be of benefit. I am constantly reading about child development on a physical and cognitive level and the effects of arts and crafts and I heavily promote this is my household.

Next time I refer to my Monday night craft group as my chance to socialise, have some time to myself and craft, I will surely be thinking about the HUGE effect that this concept must have on some people's lives. I would love to hear about your thought on this subject.

I guess crafting really IS the bee's knees!!

Mrs Crafty B

Tea, Crafts and Babies

I thought it was about time I made time to write a little something for you all.

A dense fog has descended outside and its not filling me with much motivation to continue with the housework. So here I am, cup of tea in hand and two choccy biscuits at the ready. Anyone who knows me personally will know that my drinking this tea is a bit of a revelation at the moment and anyone who sees my regular tea ranting online may be surprised to hear that this is one of the first cups of tea that I have had since Christmas. So why have I put my love of tea drinking on hold for so long I hear you ask. Don't worry, I'm not on some anti-tea diet. I am indeed expecting another baby.

Whilst I was pregnant with Baby B, (and in my second pregnancy which sadly ended in a miscarriage last september) I went right off tea for the first few months. I can't explain it, especially as I love it so much. I also suffered with pregnancy sickness in my first two pregnancies but nothing like this time around, hence my absence explained by me as my 'feeling a bit under the weather.' I was actually suffering from very bad pregnancy sickness. I was so scared of sounding like a wimp or being judged by my doctor that I went 9 days without keeping anything down before Hubby B picked up on the situation and marched me to the GP! I had a near miss with being admitted to hospital and soon got back on my feet with meds. This week has seen me perk up dramatically and I'm in the 'enjoying pregnancy' stage. Woo hoo!

So, having told my tale and updating you on my world of crazy, let me update you on my world of craft. I haven't really done much in the way of crafting since Christmas. A few little bits here and there and I have missed a few craft evenings with the ladies but my Christmas present (a Sissix big shot) is ready and waiting for some paper craft mania. As its my birthday AND mothers day this weekend, I have already received a new die to play with. It was given to me by Hubby B and Baby B this morning. I  am also still keen to learn needle felting this year so they are main focus but I still have little projects going on all over the place. I think for my next post I may let you have a little nosy in my crafts bag. What do you reckon?

I hope to be able to blog about project specifics soon with tutorials but until then please stick with me in my desperation to craft a daydream. I really will get there. I need a kick up the bum. Anyone?

Mrs Crafty B

Meet the Maker: Vicky Brown of This is Lullaby

How cute is this little number? It kind of makes you want to see more of same doesn't it? I think we should meet the maker and find out where we can see more.