Something fishy . . .

Something fishy going on in our garage this week.  It all started when youngest came home from school and declared he was going out to the garage to make something - Oh heck!!.  "Was there anything I'd like made out of wood?" he asked.  Well, what an offer - quick as a flash I said, Yes! - make me a fish!  As you do :) -

I'm thinking little carved fishy, rustic style, hole for hanging with some 'hairy' string (you know the kind I mean!), decorated with some 'tweedy' scraps - it's all a bit experimental - but you get the idea :)  

Ta Dah! . . . Little Fishy! . . .  (with a little help from his Dad!)

(Ooooops, this shot was taken before the hole was drilled for hanging - just use your imagination though! :))

P.S.  This was just a fun little idea for craft fairs -  I've just put my name down on a waiting list so hopefully I'll manage to do ONE at least over the Summer - fingers crossed!

With the possibility of a craft fair on the horizon, I've been doing a whole lot of crafting again this week, here's a little snippet of one piece (more hand embroidery going on) . . .

And a lovely golden evening this last week . . .

I don't know about the rest of the UK but it's been beautiful up in the Hebrides :)

Later, gaters!
Alison xx

New work on the horizon . . .

Hello peeps - back from a relaxing Easter weekend, but truth be told it wasn't much different from other weekends as it wasn't a Bank Holiday for anyone in the family - no school break, no weekend break for Other Half and I, but anyway it was very nice due to the weather!  (and a wee bit of chocolate!)

I didn't get much crafting done as we had other things on the go.  I took some pics on Sunday though as it was such a beautiful day.  Some wild geese on the moor grazing beside our home . . .

. . . you can just about see them amongst the camouflage of the moor.  They're such big birds though - we have lots of them at this time of  year.  Sometimes they fly quite low overhead on the moor and you can hear their big wings flapping above your head - its a strange sensation!

We have a lovely swathe of daffodils growing wild across the road too - some of my bulbs must have escaped - a happy accident if ever there was one! . . . "I wandered lonely as a cloud, etc, etc." springs to mind :)

As I didn't manage any crafting, I found myself doodling halfway through Sunday - I must have been having withdrawal symptoms :)  I had an idea for a little 'tweedie' collage in mind - that tractor fetish just won't go away, hehe . . . 

That's a little swatch of one of the tweeds I used in the foreground.  I did a few preliminary notes and scribbles on what fabrics, methods, notions, etc. I was planning to use - it was quite nice to have a clear plan for once!   Yesterday (Monday) I went to it like a banshee and got so engrossed I forgot to stop for lunch LOL.  Here's the finished work before I mounted it (I put some interfacing on the back)  . . . 

And the finished piece mounted . . .

I had so much fun with this!  A little hand embroidery - lazy daisies on the left  (spot the daffies in the foreground - they had to get a look in!) . . .

Buttons and butterflies . . .

Some seagulls overhead and a little tractor smoke! . . . 

I think I managed to squeeze in all my favourite things - some lace, some buttons, some embroidery, some Kaffe Fasset fabric - a very self indulgent piece of work, I didn't hold back!  I have a small stock of these pre-cut mounts which I purchased for some other tweedie project some time ago - so I really must use them :)  It's a great excuse to get really creative . . . I added this one to my Etsy shop.

I did finish another one later in the day - I'll show that one another time though  - that's definitely enough for now (tweedie overload!!) :D

I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend, whatever you got up to :)  Bye for now!
Alison xxx

Catching Up . . . on the little things

Here's a photograph of some keyrings I was working on last Saturday - I''ve got a whole week of crafting to catch up on!  It looks like an image from a chldren's book LOL . . .

. . . . Bhroooooooooom!  They're off . . . . . hope the tweedie tractors have a nice journey, wherever they're headed - perhaps out the moor track near my home :)  The finished versions are now in the shop.  I wanted to add some smaller items to my range so these were fun to make.

Later in the week, I finally got round to making some heart keyrings - I was waiting for some supplies of split rings and tartan ribbon . . .

I've added the one on the left to my Etsy shop.  The other two are still waiting in the wings ;-)

Come the weekend I was 'humming and hawing' about what to do, or make, if anything at all, after my keyring making spree!  After I'd packaged up a wee order though, there wasn't much of the afternoon left anyway so I just made some gift tags.  I added a simpler version along with the order as a wee 'freebie' so thought I'd carry the idea through a little further.  Sewing onto card is a lot of fun, opens up lots of creative possibilities  . . . 

I like how you can see the squiggly lines on the back, it gives them an original, rustic-look I think  . . .

I added  the set above onto Etsy, which I'm currently using to add items I'm making in a haphazard kind of a way!  Really just making things as they occur to me, some new ideas, some from my current range, and whatever else takes my fancy!  It's a fun way to work though . . . 

I don't have a plan for my Etsy shop as you can tell  - I'm just seeing where it takes me . . . . bhrooooooooom! :)

Sorry, this has been a slightly long-winded, product-laden post - I told you I was trying to catch up though LOL :)  Here's to shorter, more condensed posts from now on - honest!

Happy Monday :)
Alison xx

P.S.  I also added another washbag/wallet to my Big Cartel store this week - if you're interested!  A slightly more masculine colour palette - perhaps for the man in your life? (or just for yourself, why not!)  OK, I'm going now - honest - byeeeeeeeee :)

Drum Roll Please :)

Many thanks to those who entered my Giveaway, and to everyone else, well, where they heck were you all! - LOL :)  Seriously, I'm happy that anyone joined in at all, as it was a bit last-minute.

I'm very happy to announce that the winner was . . . 

Well, done Alessandra - I will be in touch with you to get your address details! (or just e-mail me with them if you read this first!).  Happy Easter :)

I'm keeping it brief today as I've been very busy 'tweedying' this last week and have plenty crafty stuff to reveal over the next few days :)

Cheerio an Drasda!
Alison xx

P.S.  Yes, I have changed my profile pic and it's a bit blurry - I think I might keep it that way LOL :)   It's still vaguely recognisable as me though, so it's staying put for a while anyway, until I get anything better - she says hopefully! :) (at least it's current!)

Giveaway Closed :)

My Tweedie Easter Egg giveaway is now closed - back later to announce a winner - Byeeeeeeeee!

Tweedie Egg Giveaway!

Well, I promised a tweedie-egg giveaway and I've decided to giveaway my prototype easter egg!  Well, it's just sitting here amongst the daffies looking for a new home . . .

It's probably a little cruder than the final finshed versions and has a tweed backing as opposed to the ones in the shop which have a linen backing.  But, I think it has sentimental value because it's the very first one I made :)  Just to add that this one is NOT lavender scented so I can post it anywhere - pheeeeew!   The lavender scented ones have some postal restrictions, you've got to be so careful these days:(

I'll pop a matching Easter Egg card along with the egg, so they would make a nice gift for someone - perhaps for yourself, and why not!

Just leave a comment saying what you love most about Easter - it's open to anyone worldwide.  I'll keep the Giveaway open until the weekend (midday - Sunday April 13th), so I can post the egg as early as possible the following week.  Sorry, I'm a little late posting my giveaway as I did mean it to tie in nicely as an Easter gift but you may still get in time if you hurry :)

Just to add that anyone who leaves a comment from a site/blog purely set up in order to win giveaways will be given short thrift! (I did receive a comment form such a blog last time - it's a big NO NO).  

I'm back to the office job tomorrow.  It's been lovely watching my next door neighbours lambs appearing.  Here's a pic I took this morning - still some glorious sunshine - happy days! . . . 

Happy commenting!  I'll pop back on Sunday evening and announce a winner :)

Cheerio an Drasda !
Alison xx

A walk on the wildside . . .

I've been having a lovely Easter break, which is why I've not been here, although I have been here - if that makes sense, hehe!  I holidayed at home and very nice it was too :)  We had some lovely sunny days which were 'perfick' for taking a plod out the moortrack beside my home.  Come on, get your walking boots on - I'll show you the way . . . 

We'll pass this old ruined house first . . .

Keep walking along the track . . .

Isn't the weather gorgeous today!   Let's go a little further . . .

Nice gate, here's a close up (of the post!) . . .

Aren't the colours of the moor beautiful, I find them very inspiring . .

Keep on walking and looking back to where you've come from - it looks a little magical and mystical in the morning light . . .

Hope you liked taking my moorland walk with me!  It was nice to have some company :)

I've done a ridiculous amount of crafting this week too as I decided to fill my Big Cartel shop - how to start filling you in on all the new stuff, I don't know!  Here's some tractor cards I made though - they're just the tip of the iceberg LOL . . . 

and a new colour block scarf, which I loved making (the tweeds are simply gorgeous!) . . .

You can probably see a lot of the moorland colours creeping into these beautiful tweeds - what a joy to work with them :)

I'll try and fill you in on more of the stuff I've been making but you can check out the shop to get a little overview (without me droning on in the background, hehe!)

Back soon - my holiday is almost over, boo hoo!
Alison xx