Two Crafty Brownies

Half Granny Shawl Tutorial

Hello my lovelies!! When you read this, I will be arriving back from our US trip. Oh it's been fab!! I am blown away with how stunning the scenery is, and more than a little beguiled.......

My Lu has been doing a sterling job of manning things in Two Crafty Brownieland while I've been away. Didn't you just love her rainbow brooches? She makes working with clay look so easy I may just have to give it a go!

I finished the gift I was making for my dear friend K. We were at university together, and she now lives in California with her hubby, making wine!! We always come to visit them when we are in the States, and I wanted to give her something handmade. Various people have asked how I made these shawls, so I am going to try to write the pattern for you, eeeep!

Disclaimers: these are not my patterns, they are gathered from various sources and put together in a fashion I like. I consider myself a crochet beginner so please forgive me if there are any confusing bits, I have never attempted a crochet pattern before! Huge thanks to my sis-in-law, S, whose shawl inspired me, and who taught me the basics of granny triangles.

I used 5 balls of Bergere de France Goomy 50 wool in Imprim rose, that I bought in John Lewis. The wool cost about £20. I used a 4.5mm hook. I have realised that I really don't like doing horizontal rows of crochet. I hate long chains, and whenever I have tried, I end up with a very crooked piece of work. I love love love going round and round, so granny squares and the miriad of variations are perfect for me.

(The shawl modelled by K's gorgeous daughter in secret, before I wrapped it up...) I wanted to make a soft, drapy shawl with a looser pattern at the edges. With a half granny you are essentially going back and forth along 2 edges of a square, making a triangle that gets bigger from the centre out. (I made a teeny tiny shawl to check my instructions!!)

The granny part of the shawl is made of clusters of 3 trebles, separated by 1 chain. The corner is two clusters in the same space separated by 2 chains. You start with 2 treble clusters in the centre of the shawl, see the needle in the above pic.

I am using UK terms here...... deep breath, here goes.

First, make a loop on your hook and chain 4. Slip stitch into the first chain to make a ring.

Now chain 4 and then 3 trebles into the ring, chain 2, then another 3 trebles. Chain 1, do a single treble into the ring. Chain 4 and turn your work. In the pic above you can see your central corner, with the turning chain, and then the work turned. You'll now work down that left side and up the right side. Do 3 trebles into that first space marked by the needle. Chain 1, and then 3 trebles, 2 chains, 3 trebles into the corner space, followed by a chain 1. Another 3 trebles into the top right space. Chain 1, 1 more treble into the same space, chain 4 and turn.

And you just keep repeating that until its big enough for you. I did 42 rows of trebles (1), a lacy scalloped bit (2), a chunkier border (3) and then a picot edging (4). You can make each section as big or little as you choose. I did 3 rows of the scallops and 5 of the chunkier part.

For the scalloped part, do your usual chain 4 and turn on the last row of your granny trebles. Do 1 treble into that first little space. You are now going to do chains of 5, slip stitching into the 1 chain spaces of the row below. When you get to the end, as per usual, you chain 5 and then do a treble into the last little space, chain 4 and turn. A treble into the first little space and then off on your chain 5s, this time slip stitching into the centre of the chain 5s below. Do as many rows as you want.

The chunky border is made of a chain 3, 2 trebles and a chain 3. Make your trebles in the centre of the chain 5s below. Always do the same at the end i.e. Chain 3, 2 trebles, chain 3, 1 treble into last little space, chain 4 and turn. 1 treble into the first little space, chain 3, 2 trebles, chain 3 into the 3 chain space below.

For the picot edging, end your last chunky row but don't do a chain 4 as you no longer need to increase. Instead do a double crochet (dc) into that first little space and another dc in between the 2 trebles below. Into the next 3 chain space, do 5 trebles, chain 4 and 5 more trebles. These are into the same chain space and make your picot point. You can do these into each chain space, but I wanted to spread them out, so I alternated this with 2 dcs into the next chain space. You can space these as you like. So you will have 1 dc into the space between each of the 2 trebles below, 2 dc into the spaces between the picots (where my finger is).

Just a note that if you want a picot point at the bottom point of the shawl, make sure you check how your picot points/spaces will go before deciding when to finish the chunky rows. I literally went along saying "point, space, point, space" to check everything was going to end up where I wanted. And this will depend on the decisions you make about number of rows. I know this sounds a bit vague, but the whole idea is that you decide, rather than me just telling you what to do. If I, as a beginner, can do this, you totally can too!! And if you have trouble, email me via the contact form!!

I hope you're still with me, lovelies!! Sorry for the wordy instructions, but this is as much for me to remember how to do it as it is for you!!

Lu and I will be taking August off from the blog, but we'll still be around on our social media accounts. Have a fab August, and see you in September!!

Sending you loads and loads of love,

Jenny xxxxxooooo

Rainbow Love! : Clay Rainbow Brooch Tutorial

Hello lovelies

Hurrah! It is officially the Summer hols in our house starting this afternoon! We are all exhausted and need a break from the daily grind. We are going to spend our holiday relaxing, adventuring, washing clothes and dishes, cooking, reading, playing, bickering and gardening! I am sure there are more verbs I could add to that mix but I am sure you get the gist.

The other Brownie is already holidaying and having a fab time by the looks of it. Did you see Jenny's holiday pics and list of travel essentials last week? I love the handmade thank you cards that Jenny leaves for hosts along the way. What a lovely idea!

If you follow us on instagram, you will know that in June, we took part in a wonderful challenge, #colourmyeveryday, which was a celebration of all things colour. Each day, there were different prompts such as ‘tin’, ‘building’, ‘flower’ etc to encourage variety and to get us thinking. It was created by the gorgeous Jo of Adventures and Tea Parties. It was an absolute joy to take part in, I took photos I wouldn’t have thought to take without it and our gallery was so much brighter for it! Jo was so complimentary and enthusiastic about everybody’s entries each day. It must have been hard work to run but I am sure a pleasure too!

Inspired by Jo’s #colourmyeveryday challenge I have dug out the air drying clay again and made a rainbow brooch!

What you need is:

Air drying clay - such as this one.

2 plastic trays - one to roll the clay out on, one to dry the clay on.

Non stick craft rolling pin such as this one with the 3mm rings attached.

Template of rainbow and clouds - Download Rainbow Brooch Template

Craft knife such as this.

Small pot of water.

Nail file.

Dust mask.

Slim paint brushes.

Porcelain paints such as these - you could aso use poster or acrylic paint too but these porcelain paints created a lovely gloss finish.

Gloss varnish - I used Fimo (polymer clay) gloss varnish. You can find it here.

Brooch back findings such as these.

Epoxy glue such as this.

What you do is:

Print out and cut around the rainbow template.

Break off a chunk of clay (size depends on how many brooches you want to make). Wrap the rest of the clay up using cling film to keep moist.

Knead the clay in your hands for a bit. A few squeezes will do!

Put the 3mm thickness markers onto the rolling pin and roll out the clay until it stops getting any thinner.

Place the rainbow template onto the rolled out clay and cut around it with a craft knife. Use a cutting motion rather than a slicing motion. The latter will pull the clay out of shape.

Separate the shapes from the rest of the clay. Wrap up the spare clay in cling film to use at a later date.

Smooth the edges of each rainbow with a finger dipped in water. Don’t worry if it is not completely smooth. Once dry the clay can be filed to smooth out further.

Leave to dry on the tray covered in cling film, according to the clay manufacturer’s instructions. I usually leave mine for about 48 hours. Keep an eye on them whilst they dry and carefully press down any raised bits. You could also turn them over after about 24 hours to speed up the drying process.

Once dry, using a nail file, file the edges of each rainbow to smooth them further. It is advisable to wear a dust mask because of the clay dust this process creates. Blow off any excess dust and wipe with a tissue to be sure.

Place the template labelled ‘red’ onto one of the rainbows, so the bottom edge of the template lines up with the bottom edge of the rainbow.

Using the red porcelain paint, paint the exposed area of the clay and leave to dry. This is the first rainbow stripe.

 Now paint an orange stripe underneath the red, allow to dry, then paint a yellow stripe and so on until all the colours have been painted.

Once dry, paint the clouds white. This is optional - you could just leave them.

Once the paint is dry, apply a layer of gloss varnish to the back of each rainbow and allow to dry. Then paint the front. This gives them a little extra durability and a nice shine. Allow to dry.

Once dry, with the rainbow brooch turned over to the wrong side, add a small dollop of glue to the middle and gently press a brooch backing onto the glue. Leave to dry - 24 hours will usually do.

Your brooch is done! Isn’t it cheery and colourful?! Wear with pride (tee hee)!

Well my lovelies, that is it for me until September. Jenny and I are going to take a little break in August but Jenny is back next week so I will leave it to her to sign off properly! Have a gorgeous weekend whatever you are up to!

Lots and lots of love and cuddles to last all Summer,

Lucy

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Tin Can Alley Tutorial

Hello lovelies

How is July treating you? Here in Two Crafty Brownieland, we are starting to wind down already for the Summer hols. Jenny is off on holiday tomorrow with her fab laundry bags and her lovely family; and my brood, hubby and I are counting down the days! Summer term for my family means sports days, end of year performances, meetings with teachers, school fairs and local community festivals. Each year we look forward to celebrating the Summer by licking ice creams, eating burgers cooked on a barbie, drinking pimms and cold beers, jumping on bouncy castles and having a go at classic Summer fair games, such as hook-a-duck, the coconut shy, hoop-la and tin can alley. What are your favourite games to play in the Summer? We visited my family last year and had a go at croquet for the first time, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Some of us (the hubby and I!) were very competitive!

I’ve been wanting to make my own tin can alley for a long time and I have finally got round to it just in time for the kids' Summer fair tomorrow! This project was a lot of fun, very straightforward to make and has great recycling and upcycling credentials. I recycled empty food tins, used up dried lentils past their ‘consume by’ date and used fabric scraps too.

What you need is:

For the cans:

10 empty food tins, washed, soaked and labels peeled off.

Spray paints - I used 10 colours of this brand. Both my hubby and I are big spray painting fans (you may remember this tutorial?) so we had quite a few cans already, but they are pricey at about £6.95 each, so feel free to use as many or as few colours as you wish. Two colours would do! You could also stick strips of washi tape onto the cans, decoupage with paper, fabric or napkins (Jenny’s favourite!) or even decorate pieces of paper (or get the kids to do it!) and stick these on.

Newspaper for protecting surfaces and sticking into the cans when spray painting.

Template of a star. I printed out this image to the correct size (fitting 4 stars to an A4 page) and cut it out.

Masking tape - I suggest testing your masking tape on a painted tin first to make sure it does not peel the paint off. I tried sticky back plastic first and this did peel off the paint when removed, but masking tape was fine.

For the bean bags:

Scraps of fabric - enough to make 3 bean bags. Each bean bag uses 2 squares of fabric measuring 14 x 14cm (5.5” x 5.5”) before hemming. I used star fabric to match the star on the tins.

Stiffening/Interfacing to strengthen the bean bags which are going to get thrown about a lot! I used scraps that I had - you need the same amount as the fabric.

Dried lentils, beans or rice - I had lentils that were out of date. I used 150g (5oz) dried lentils per bag.

Two Crafty Brownies sewing essentials

What you do is.

Wash, soak, peel labels off and dry the used tins, being careful with sharp bits. If there are any sharp edges, bend them inwards so you don’t cut yourself!

Protect your surface with newspaper. It is best to spray outside or in a very well ventilated area and it is advisable to wear a dust mask too.

Stuff a piece of newspaper into each tin, with enough sticking out to act as a sort of handle.

Prepare the spray paint can by shaking it for as long as the manufacturer’s instructions indicate.

Holding the newspaper handle, the tin slightly off the surface and the spray can at a slight angle, spray an even layer of paint onto the surface of the tin, turning as you go.

Leave to dry and repeat with the other tins.

 

Whilst the tins are drying, sew the bean bags.

Cut out 6 pieces of fabric with the measurements 14 x 14cm (5.5” x 5.5”). I used a rotary cutter, long ruler and cutting mat.

Cut out 6 pieces of stiffening/interfacing with the same measurements.

 

Lay a piece of fabric right side up on top of a piece of interfacing. Then lay a fabric square on top of this right side down and a square of interfacing on top of this.

Pin together leaving a gap in one side which the filling will go into.

Starting at one side of the gap, machine stitch all the way round with a 0.5cm seam allowance. Stop at the other side of the gap. Remember to do a reverse stitch at the beginning and end to strengthen the seams.

Cut the thread ends and snip the corners.

Turn the bean bag right way round, poking out the corners. Press with a hot iron.

Fill with the dried lentils. I did this with a teaspoon but it may be easier to use a funnel!

Pin the gap closed and then machine stitch close to the edge, reverse stitching at the beginning and the end and cutting the threads again.

 

Repeat this process with the two remaining bean bags.

Once the tins are dry and you have sewn the bean bags, cut out the paper star and place onto the surface of a tin in the desired position and stick pieces of masking tape onto the tin around the edges of the star without sticking the star to the tin.

 

When you remove the paper star, you will have an exposed star shape on the tin. Now stick more masking tape around the tin, covering most of the surface closest to the star.

 

Take a contrasting colour of spray paint and spray the exposed star area. The spray will cover more than the star but that is fine because it is protected by the masking tape (in the step above).

Allow to dry. Once dry, carefully and slowly peel off the masking tape to reveal the contrasting star. I love this bit! In fact, I enjoy this part of the process so much, I got carried away and didn't take any pics! I am sure you get the gist!

Repeat with the other tins.

All that is left to do is to stack up your tins, gather some party people and have a fab game of tin can alley! Such fun!

 

I loved the process of decorating the tins and the final look of them. I think they would look great as plant pots, vases or desk storage containers. #somanyideassolittletime!

Take care my lovelies and have fun whatever you are up to this weekend.

Much love,

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sew Your Own Travel Laundry Bag

Hello my sweetpeas! I do hope you've had a good week. I have been busy, busy, busy here in Two Crafty Brownieland. This week, I finished my very first crochet shawl!! I think it's taken about 2 months, 5 x 50g balls of wool, overnight blocking, and I am tremendously pleased with it!!

I did, however, forget to move the broom!! In other news, I have both my beloved boys home with me. J, who is 20, has just finished his first year at Uni. C,16, has just written his GCSEs and is so unbelievably happy to be done...... I am absolutely loving having them under the roof. As we have finished technically before the official school holidays, we are taking the opportunity to go away earlier than usual. We promised C his choice of trip, he has worked really hard the last few years, and we felt he deserved a good holiday. He chose America, so we are off in about 10 days time, eeeek!!

 

I have a little list of travel essentials, and one of those is a travel laundry bag to collect all those  little dirty items of clothing.. It's a very quick, easy sew. This is an unlined, zipped pouch. I decided not to make a lining so it folds up small, and you could make it in different sizes for all sorts of uses.

What you need is

A piece of fabric measuring 19" by 21" (or choose your own preferred size)

A matching zip, the same width as your fabric or just smaller

A pretty piece of binding for a hanging loop

Matching thread

Two Crafty Brownies Sewing Essentials

What you do is

Cut two pieces of your fabric. Turn a double hem along one short edge of each piece. Pin in place on the right side of the fabric. This is a bit fiddly but will make pinning your zip in much easier.

Lay your zip, right way up and pin this short edge of each piece of fabric to your zip. The fabric should be right side up, on top of the zip. Make sure the edges are lined up. Using the zipper attachment on your machine, sew the fabric onto the zip.

Now prepare your hanging loop, if you want one. I used two lengths of binding, and top stitched them together. You could also use ribbon. Fold the finished loop in half, and pin a few cm down from the zip. We will use french seams to sew up the pouch, which enclose the raw edges of the seams. Change back to your normal foot now. With right sides out, pin all around the sides and bottom of your pouch. If your zip doesn't quite meet the side, it doesn't matter. I just left little gaps there (for airing the contents out!!) Make sure your loop is lying horizontally, out of the way of your stitches, apart from the edge which you will sew over as you go.

Sew down the side with a 0.25" or 0.5cm seam allowance. Turn the corner by keeping your needle down, lifting your foot and turning the fabric. Sew along the bottom and up the other side, backstitching at start and finish. Trim any frayed bits along your seams so they don't poke out. Remember to open your zip to at least half way. Now turn the whole pouch so the wrong side is facing out. Sew again down the side, along the bottom and up the side, making sure this time your loop is horizontal inside the pouch and out of the way.

Turn the whole thing back the right way, give it a good press and admire your work!! This was really fast, I made 4 in a morning, and we are now ready for our trip!!

Do you make any travel items? Do tell! Have a lovely weekend, darlings!!

Jenny xxxxxooooo

Quick and Easy Magnetic Notepad

Hello lovelies! How are things in your patch? If you're in the UK, are you having a good half term? I just loved Lu's post on creativity. I am so with her on how calming and meditative crafting is. I read somewhere that doing something creative really does switch off the troublesome thoughts running through our head, and allows our thoughts to run free........ I also find it incredibly soothing to make things. And I too choose kindness, it is truly the key to everything, I believe. 

Now onto this week's make!

Ever since my boys were tiny, we have had a weekly meal plan. With both of us working, I couldn't have managed without knowing what I needed to buy and what we were going to eat. Our menu is written on a board on the fridge, and near it sits a notepad for us to jot down things we need to buy the following week. I usually buy these notepads online, but as this one is running out, (and with my newfound love of making books) I decided to have a go at making one myself! (And if you are admiring those rather gorgeous fridge magnets above, Lu has done a tutorial on how to make them here.)

What you need is

Your choice of paper and a piece of card. I used a cereal packet, I am trying to reuse card instead of buying it wherever I can.....

Cutting mat and knife

Self adhesive magnetic tape, like this

Glue, any liquid glue you use for papercrafts will do

Clips or clothes pegs to hold the sheets together when you glue them

What you do is

Decide what size you want your notepad to be. I wanted mine similar to the ones I buy. Remember if you want lines to cut your paper the right way! I used a notebook I didn't need, and just pulled out the pages and trimmed them down. Depending on the size of your paper A4, A5 etc) you might cut each page into several sheets.

Now cut your card to the same size. I liked the look with my card slightly longer. It's all up to you!!

Stack your papers on top of your card and make sure the top edge is flat. This is where you will be putting the glue to hold the pad together. Use clips, or lie the pad under something heavy to hold in it place while it dries. Then run a line of glue along the top edge and smooth with your finger. Leave to dry for a couple of hours and then apply another layer of glue to make sure it holds together.

Now cut two strips of magnetic tape, peel off the backing paper and stick them to the back of the pad.

Voila!! How easy is that? I made a few different ones, and of course you could embellish the top, bottom or edges with stamps, embossing, stickers, washi tape...... the sky is the limit!!

In other news, Lucy is finally realising a dream of hers of writing! She is telling her story over on her new blog Lucylu Dreams. Do go and check it out, lovely readers.

with much love,

Jenny xxxxxooooo

 

Creativity For The Soul...and Cake Stand How-To

Hello there lovelies

As I type this, news of the awful terror attack in Manchester on Monday evening is unfolding and I felt I couldn’t write my post without an acknowledgement or a mention of this tragic and senseless act that has and will change the lives of the victims and their families forever. Our thoughts are with all of them and we’re thinking of all of you too and sending so much love.

Each time these awful events happen at home here in the UK or anywhere else in the world, I feel so so sad and worried, but I also feel more determined than ever to spread kindness and love. I am bringing my kids up to do so to. To remember that even when someone is unkind to us, we have a choice. We can be unkind back, or we can show them a good example of a kind and loving person. This doesn’t mean we can’t be firm, have boundaries or feel anger. But breaking the cycle of meanness is more powerful than spreading hate. We choose kindness and love.

Did you see Jenny’s post last week? A whole year of making her own clothes! I am totally in awe of how much she has achieved. I am especially impressed with the ‘knicker count’!

This blog post was going to be a straightforward cake stand tutorial and you can still find a brief ‘how-to’ below, but it evolved into something else while I was decorating the plates because of the feelings the process evoked in me. And you know I am all about the process now don’t you? See this post for more on that!

My little girl (who is 6) was learning about Pointillism, a technique of neo-Impressionist painters, where the artist uses dots and dashes to create an image. For her homework, she was asked to create her own picture using this method, so I decided to support her by sitting alongside her and attempting my own at the same time. It had been such a long time since I painted or drew just for the sake of it. I started painting with no plan, just enjoying the process and I can report that I thoroughly enjoyed it! I decided to use this method to decorate the plates for the cake stands.

For a few hours over a couple of days, I sat on my own, with no radio on, painting little dots onto plates into the shapes of flowers and a tree. I did first drill holes in the plates which was definitely not relaxing!!!!! Whilst I was sitting there dipping my paintbrush into the paint and dotting colour onto the plates, my mind, which is usually very active and often saturated, relaxed and meandered calmly from thought to thought. My breathing and heart rate reduced, I noticed the sounds of birds and I found myself staring out of the window at the lush green of my garden. A kind of meditative state if you will. I had a vague plan of the design for my plates. I had drawn a couple of sketches, but I had not prepared any templates. Jenny may fall off her chair at this declaration! I just let my creative juices flow. Oh how rewarding it was and I love what I have created!

There is often an element of stress involved when making things isn’t there? When for example there is a deadline, or the quality of what we are producing needs to be really good, or dare I say it, when we are hoping to post pictures of what we have created on instagram so it has to be ‘insta-worthy’! I suppose sometimes that might be called ‘work’ and of course, work can bring satisfaction and joy too. Although painting the plates was ‘work’ for our blog, I felt like I was actually ‘playing’ and playing felt good! Perhaps it was something about the painting too that felt relaxing and good for my soul.

Creativity is good for the soul. I’ve said it and been struck by it before - it should be prescribed on the NHS. Drawing is often a tool that therapists use, especially with kids. I know that when my son draws, and he draws a lot, so much of what goes on in his mind, comes out on paper and it helps him to process his thoughts and emotions. In fact, he is often eager to talk about his drawings which is fantastic. There is more information about art therapy here.

I am going to pretend to be a doctor just for a moment, because unlike my Jenny who is a real doctor, I can only pretend. I am declaring myself a ‘craft doctor’ and I am prescribing you arty crafty play time, where there is no aim other than to thoroughly enjoy yourself. What you produce does not have to be perfect or even something you want to keep. In fact, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is an artist and I asked her what she does with the hundreds of pictures her kids bring home from school. She said that she only keeps a few. The rest are destined for the recycle bin (unbeknownst to them!) after they’ve had a chat about them. She says that creativity is all about the process!

With that in mind, I can definitely recommend buying a few, cheap white plates from your local supermarket, some ceramic paints such as these and having a go at painting them.

If you fancy turning said plates into little cake stands, you will need to drill holes in them first. For this, you will need a drill and ceramic drill bits or you will need somebody else who has these things and who is willing to do it for you - much more relaxing! I used a 7mm drill bit.

To find the centre of the plate, I drew around the plate onto a piece of paper, cut it out and folded the circle in half twice. I opened up the paper and pushed through the middle point with the drill bit. I then placed a piece of masking tape across the middle of the plate, then the circle of paper onto the plate and drew through the hole made onto the masking tape with a sharpie to mark the middle point…

I followed this tutorial for drilling the holes. I found it quite tough and did make a few cracks which is not desired! But it is now a skill I feel I have and of course I have been drilling other things, such as a drainage hole in this cup so that it can become a little plant pot…..

Once you have drilled the holes and painted the plates, you will need to place the plates in a hot oven to set the colours. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on the paints for this.

For the ‘stand’ bit of the cake stand, you will need the cake stand attachments. I bought these, which are for a 3 tier cake stand but I felt 2 tiers were enough when I tried stacking the plates. So I have one double stacked stand, 1 single and some spare cake stand fittings! To assemble, place a metal washer followed by a soft white washer onto the bottom screw fitting. Place this through the hole in the bottom plate. Onto this, place another soft white washer and then screw in the next cake stand fitting. Place a metal washer and then a soft white washer on top of this and then place the next plate on top. Place a white washer on top and then the final handle attachment. I am hoping this pic might help....

You’re done!

I feel I don’t want to cover up the design on my plates but think it might be fun for the design to be uncovered as the cakes get eaten!

My plates were all the same size, but you could buy different size plates so that the bottom tier is larger than the top and if you fancied a 3 tier stand, I have seen clever people putting teacups on the top which looks great. The good thing about this project is the flexibility because the attachments can be removed.

That's it from me this week. The bank holiday weekend is upon us and there are rumours that it is meant to be quite hot here in London. So perhaps we will be having our first bbq and maybe even our first paddling pool of the year! Have a wonderful weekend lovelies whatever you are up to.

Love and kindness always,

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Inspired by mini eggs!

Hello dear friends!

Ooo things are warming up here in London town! The Spring has sprung, the sun has been shining a little more and the world is starting to look really colourful. Here in Two Crafty Brownies Land, Jenny and I are very excited about our very first workshops. We are holding them in such a wonderful setting, the Arbour Café at The Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town. We will be teaching how to make your very own journal/planner on the 27th April and a floral appliqué embroidery hoop on the 8th May. If you are interested in either of our workshops, you can do so and book a place by clicking on our workshops tab above or follow this link! We do hope some of you can make it!

Whilst Jenny has been inspired to decoupage with napkins, yielding beautiful results, I have been slightly obsessed with Cadbury’s mini eggs! Maybe it goes without saying that I love eating them. Over on instagram, I described them as little eggs of joy with speckled, crunchy exteriors and melt in the mouth chocolate centres. This may sound like an advert but sadly I have not been sponsored to write this post although if you are reading this Cadbury’s, you may be able to twist my arm!

I’m mostly inspired to eat them straight away but I did have enough willpower to save a few to decorate some little spring cupcakes. The kids were sooooo happy when they came home from school on this day….

I even speckled the buttercream with sifted cocoa. Look, there’s a mini egg thief about!….

I'm not impressed that Cadbury's don't make a blue mini egg! Surely there should be right? I may just start a campaign. Who's with me?......Not important enough a cause you say? Hhmph!

As well as eating them, the pretty speckled shells of mini eggs has got me crafting. I just love this look. I mean, take a look at these socks,. Don’t you just love them?.........

Also, look at those little feet! They belong to my littlest girl (all the heart eyes).

I find myself attracted to all the speckled yarn and I have to try very hard not to purchase every ball of speckled wool I see! Occasionally though, yarn just has this habit of following me home. Have you been witness to this phenomenon or is it just me? Very strange…..

This yarn is from Rico Design and I bought it from here in cream and peach too as the cream needed a friend. I am in the process of hooking up a cushion cover……….the colours make me so happy as I hook….

I’ve also had the air drying clay out again. I have played with this before as you may know. Check out the tutorials here if you fancy having a go. I made spring themed shapes using these fab cookie cutters from Paperchase....

I painted them using ceramic paint which has a glossy finish and speckled them by dipping a paint brush in gold paint and flicking the bristles with my finger. Don’t they look cute?

I am going to make them into brooches, keyrings and magnets for my little cousins as surprise Spring gifts.

I've also got a bit crafty with fabric paint, a stencil I made earlier (of an avocado stone which looks very much like a mini egg), a sponge, a paint brush and cream cotton fabric…..

I am going to transform the speckled fabric into a pouch! I might have to keep this one……...

Phew! Are you all mini-egged and speckled out? I’m not sure I am quite yet…..

The kids break up today for their Easter hols and I am very excited about the next couple of weeks of pottering and larking about with them and the hubby. Have you got any plans for Easter? Whatever your plans, do have a smashing time my lovely mini-eggs! (compliments indeed!)....

All the love and hugs,

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxx

Napkin Decoupage

Hello treasures....... how are you doing? Thank you so much for your emails of concern after Wednesday's horrible events in London. I work at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals and was at Guy's at the time (about a mile away). Reports started flying around by email about what was happening. St Thomas', which is right beside Westminster Bridge went into lockdown, and we all waited to see what would happen. By 6pm, people were being allowed to leave, and we were told to get ourselves home. I must say, darlings, I had a moment of panic as I went down into the Underground. But all around me, my fellow travellers were calm, quiet and going about their business. It made me so proud to be a Londoner......we will not let fear and hatred win.

And so despite what happened, it is business as usual here in Two Crafty Brownieland. I am still drooling over Lucy's rhubarb recipes, and of course have been busy making things alongside my day job. As you may have noticed, I am still obsessed with making books. The longest I've ever gone with one craft without getting bored!! I've been experimenting with different covers, and my absolute fave is using napkins.

 It's such a quick and easy way to prettify card or paper, and there are so many gorgeous designs!!

What you need are

Some pretty napkins

Index cards, tags, card or even just paper

PVA glue or Mod Podge

a soft bristled brush

 

What you do is

Peel apart the three layers of the napkin, you'll be using the top, patterned layer only. Lay the napkin on top of your paper/card. Apply the glue on top of the napkin with gentle strokes, making sure the glue goes right to the edge.

Leave to dry, it takes about half an hour. Trim around your card or paper with scissors and admire the pretty effect!

I have been making book covers by gluing napkins to envelopes, and it makes such a lovely, pliable cover.....

I finally made myself a planner to use after my Christmas Journal got full.....

In other news, it's nearly been a year of sewing my own clothes! I'll be doing another post about this soon, but in the meantime, come close and let me tell you a secret......sometimes my dress matches my underwear!! (this one's especially for you, Kelly!!)

I have been baking No Knead Bread......

And finally finished this mermaid for my goddaughter that I have been making for the last year!!

Well, that's it from me, lovelies, because, guess what, I'm off to buy some napkins!!

Kisses all over your lovely faces......

Jenny xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Junk Journal Adventures

 

Hello my lovelies! How are you doing? We are all good here in Two Crafty Brownieland. We have been making and creating, and generally feeling much happier with things this year. We have some new plans in the pipeline, read on till the end and you'll find out!

Lucy has been playing with leatherette, wasn't that pouch gorgeous!?! I'm so hoping I get to road test one, for research purposes of course!

If you follow us on social media, you may have noticed I have become a bit obsessed with book binding. I have been mulling over this and thinking back to how it all started.

I think it first began in this gorgeous little shop, Number Four, in our beloved Scottish Borders. This shop is near the little town of St Abbs and whenever we go to stay there we have a little visit. They sell lovely handmade things, and two little books (pic above) caught my eye. One was the little red notebook. It had obviously been made by hand, with a block printed cover, sewn in signatures and an elastic closure. As I examined this book, I began to wonder if it was as tricky as it looked to make. You know how it goes, darlings……..the Ideas Fairies start fluttering around in our heads…… then I saw the black sketch book, which has gorgeous Coptic binding (are you impressed?). This looked more tricky, but I had been toying with the idea of starting to draw and paint, so that one fell into my basket too.

Back home, I searched on the fabulous Creativebug site, which I subscribe to for the princely sum of $5.00 per month. They had several classes on bookbinding and making bookcloth and I was hooked. Things got a bit crazy in the run up to Christmas, but in those lazy days after, I decided to give it a go. I wanted to make a journal to round up Christmas and start off the new year. I dug out my favourite pointsettia fabric and started gluing and folding papers. The result was the book above, which I just love.

Quietly alongside this Lu and I have been dreaming of running some workshops. We love talking to people, and the markets we did, where people seem to be afraid to catch your eye in case they have to buy something just didn't do it for us. As you know, we are passionate about sharing what we have learnt. Coincidentally, our local garden centre, which is a beautiful little oasis in the city, approached us about running some workshops. We are so excited! I have been putting together a gardening journal to teach people to make.

I used an envelope and some gardening mags to make the collaged cover......

Pretty paper on the inside, and string to hold the pages in.....

The pages are from a selection of papers..... and slide under the string....

I have added some charms and a pretty ribbon.

I love the potential of these journals. They could be used for so much…..planning, organising, documenting, scrapbooking.

Meanwhile, Lu has been also working away, and on Monday I went over to hers to learn how to make this gorgeous wall art. Isn't she clever!!

So, darlings, that's it from me. If you are in or around London and want to be kept in the loop about upcoming workshops, let us know at [email protected], or send us your email via the contact tab at the top of the page.

Hugs and kisses!!

Jenny xxxxxxxxx

Appliqué Cross Stitch Heart Leatherette Pouch Tutorial

Hello sweet friends!

As February ends and the beginning of March greets us, my heart and mood are uplifted knowing that warmer, longer, sunnier and more colourful days are just around the corner. Winter does have a tendency to drag on doesn’t it? I am dying to spend more time in the garden, pottering, planting and making it ready to enjoy for Spring and Summer, and I am longing to feel the warmth of the sun on my face. A morning cup of tea in the garden would go down a treat right now! With one of Jenny's pancakes too!

Coming up in March of course is Mother’s Day. I know this is a difficult day for some and I am sending my love to you if this day brings sadness. Kisses and kindness lovelies. When making this glamorous pouch, I am thinking of my mother yes, but I am also thinking of my lovely Aunty, cousins and wonderful friends, who inspire me everyday and I’m wishing I had the time to make one of these for each of them!

This tutorial combines 2 previous projects, which you can find here (cross stitch hearts bunting) and here (zippered pouch), however I have made this a stand-alone tutorial because there are quite a few differences.

For the cross stitch heart, what you need is:

Free Pattern - Download Cross Stitch Heart Pattern

14 point aida cross stitch fabric measuring approximately 15 x 15 cm.

Embroidery hoop - I used a 12 cm/5” diameter hoop. You could use a 10cm/4” hoop and a smaller piece of aida. I used a 12 cm hoop because I wanted to stitch a few more hearts to attach to a few more pouches.

Embroidery floss - I used approximately 110 cm of DMC 25, colour 602 pink.

Tapestry/Embroidery needle and ordinary sharp needle (to sew in the ends of thread).

For the leatherette pouch, what you need is:

Silver leatherette - I got mine from here. I saw it across the room and had to have it, like you do! It is so lovely and soft, not stiff or plasticky (is that a word?) at all like some leatherette.

Cotton lining fabric.

Paper and pencil.

Matching/contrasting zip 20cm/8” long. (I used a metal zip)

Matching thread.

Little pegs/binder clips/hair clips etc for holding the leatherette (pins will leave a mark).

Two Crafty Brownies Sewing Essentials

Note on the sewing machine needle: Because this leatherette fabric is so lovely and soft, I used a normal, universal machine needle but in a size 90 (I mostly use an 80) due to the thickness of the leatherette. The advice is usually to use a leather needle with leatherette.

What you do is:

Place the Aida into your embroidery hoop and tighten.

Cut approx 110 cm of the embroidery floss and split it taking two threads (it has 6). I've used the pictures from my cross stitch hearts bunting tutorial to illustrate these next few steps, so the thread is green rather than the pink I have actually used for this tutorial.

A little note on cross stitch (if you are experienced skip this bit!): When cross stitching, it is useful to look at 4 holes in the aida as a square. Stitches are usually made by making a cross in this square by stitching diagonally. In this tutorial, I talk about these holes in terms of their position in that square. For example, bottom left, top right etc. The other thing to note is that each square shares a border with the next, so bottom and top right of one square will be the bottom and top left of the next…….....stay with me peeps!

Start by threading the needle. Working from the back of the hoop to the front, pull the thread through the starting hole in the Aida carefully leaving a tail of about 9cm, which you will thread through the stitches at the back to hide it later. You are starting with the pointy bottom (tee hee!) of the heart which comprises of two ¾ stitches (see the template).

Place the needle back through the Aida on the diagonal from bottom right to top left (of a square) and then bring it through to the front again this time at top right position.

Now take it down again just underneath the middle of that diagonal stitch (not in any of the corners).

Now repeat with the adjoining square to the right, starting bottom left (from back to front), then top right (from front to back), top left (from back to front) and finally into the middle of the diagonal you have created.

Bring the needle from the back to the front of the Aida at the beginning of the second row (refer to the pattern) at bottom left, taking it from front to back at top right. Repeat along this row until you have 4 diagonal (half) stitches.

Come back up through the fabric at bottom right of this 4th stitch and down again at top left, making the cross. Continue working back along the 3 remaining stitches to complete this second row.

 

Now follow the pattern on the template repeating the method for row 2 for the rest of the heart. Note that when you get to end of row 10, making your final cross before beginning row 11, make this final stitch from top left to bottom right. Then on row 11, you can begin at bottom left position without this stitch coming back out. This should be clear when you are actually doing it!

Your thread will run out during stitching. Hide the ends by sewing them along and under the stitches at the back.

Remove the aida from the hoop and cut carefully around the heart, 2 holes along all the way round. Set aside.

Now make your template for the pouch. Draw out a rectangle measuring 22 x 15cm on a piece of paper and cut it out.

Taking your leatherette and lining, cut out 2 panels from each using the template you have made. For the leatherette, draw around the template using an air erasable pen (you can also use a biro!) and cut out. Do not pin the template to the leatherette, because the pins will leave marks in it. For the cotton lining, you can pin the template to 2 layers of fabric folded right sides together and cut out.

Taking one panel of leatherette, place the cross stitch heart 2cm from the right bottom (tee hee!) and side and pin in place. You can pin this because the marks left by the pin will not be seen beneath the heart.

Using the zigzag stitch on your machine (3.5 width and 1.0 length), appliqué (attach) the heart to the leatherette, being careful to stop, lift the machine foot and move the leatherette as you go round corners and tips. Pull threads through to the back and tie/snip.

Place the zip with teeth uppermost on top of and at the top edge of a panel of lining, right side facing up. Then place the panel of leatherette with the heart sewn on, on top of the zip and lining with right side facing down. Lining and leatherette should be right sides facing.

Hold in place using little pegs.

Open the zip a few centimetres so that you can start to stitch without the zipper pull getting in the way.

Using the zipper foot on your sewing machine, join these layers together, taking the pegs out as you go. When you get close to the zipper pull, stop stitching, lift the zipper foot and pull the zip closed and continue stitching. Note: I used grey thread uppermost and white thread in the bobbin. You will top stitch later so it is good to have the correct colours in place!

Turn the fabric so that all layers are on the same side of the zip, with the leatherette uppermost. Press with a hot iron on the lining side, then press again on the leatherette side but with a piece of cotton fabric between the leatherette and the iron. The leatherette may stick to your iron if you press it directly.

Repeat this process with the remaining panels.

With the zipper foot still on your machine, top stitch along the top seams, again moving the zipper pull out of the way of the zipper foot. I used the width of the zipper foot as a guide. You can see from this photo that the edges on either side of the zip are not quite level as the leatherette shifts a little, but the seam allowance will hide this.

 
Open the zip halfway, match and pin/peg lining to lining and leatherette to leatherette, with right sides together, marking with pins, a gap of approx 5cm at the bottom of the lining. This gap is important - without it you will not be able to turn your pouch the right way round. Also note: The zipper teeth should face the lining on the inside.

Attach the normal sewing foot to your machine (I left the threads as they were) and stitch a 0.5cm seam allowance all the way round, sewing a few reverse stitches at the beginning and end of the gap. Note: Before you reach the zip, you may need to change to the zipper foot, if you feel the normal sewing foot will not easily pass the ends of the zip. Change back to the normal foot after you pass the zip. Take the pins/pegs out as you go.

Snip the 4 corners, to make them pointy when turned the right way round.

Trim the zip a little if necessary so the ends are not bulky when the pouch is turned the right way round.

Using the gap in the lining, pull through the lining and the leatherette, then the lining out of the leatherette (this will make sense when you are doing it, promise!), poking out the corners gently using a blunt pencil or similar object. Press with a hot iron (remembering to cover with fabric when ironing the leatherette). On my first attempt, the leatherette stretched a little, so I turned the pouch inside out and straightened up a couple of seams.

Sew the opening in the lining closed by hand or machine stitch.

Now tuck the lining into the main fabric and give it a good press with a hot iron.

Your pouch is done! Admire your work and keep or gift it to someone you love dearly!

I have really enjoyed my first foray into sewing with leatherette and I am thinking up new projects already!

I’m off now to do a sun dance in the garden! Have a wonderful weekend lovelies and thanks for checking in.

Big warmth and love,

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzzzzzzzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx