Tuesday 3 April 2012

Something Different!

Morning all!  What a crazy few weeks!  Have started at GAP and I am absolutely loving it - the clothes are so fresh and colourful, the team is amazing and it is so busy - a bit of a change to say the least!  Have even gotten used to the long days - although it's taking Daisy a wee bit longer to adjust!  Busy in the studio too, with lots of wedding creations on the go (although you won't be seeing any of those for a wee while yet!)

So mother's day crept up on me this year and I thought we would try something a bit different - I had some Amy Butler fabric left over from my quilt, and a pile of felt that I found in the cupboard so I thought I would give some brooches a go.  I'm pretty pleased with the results for first attempts - I'm sure they will improve the more I do!

Here's Daisy's prototype pinned onto her new Mini Boden dress!
Made this one for my mum...

and this one for my nan...

and then remembered I had some cards in the cupboard that they would look nice attached to...

We're having a go at these on Thursday nights class, 7 -9 in the studio if anyone fancies it - as always though if you just fancy some crafty company you can bring your own project to work on!

 Thought I'd share this picture of Daisy making herself at home in the studio - I was busy working on wedding orders and she was busy building an online fashion empire!  Love how at home she feels here!

Right I am off to finish a batch of invitations, have an amazing day everyone.

Keep smiling,
Ruth
x

Friday 9 March 2012

S.W.A.L.K

Evening!!  I HAVE A JOB!  Thank goodness!  I start on Monday in the local GAP store at Sterling Mills.  I have never been so relieved in my entire life :-D  I'm really excited, but Daisy is more excited about the discount!   What a stressful couple of weeks!  It will take a few weeks for my shifts to settle down into a pattern but as soon as it does I will let you know the opening hours for the shop!

Have been busy with weddings over the last week or so again, but decided to have a play with the S.W.A.L.K. stamps that arrived yesterday from Crafters Companion.  I limited poor Daisy to choosing 4 and it took her AGES to choose, but I love the ones she did pick.

This is Slugs & Snails, coloured with my Polychromo Pencils - the papers are First Edition "Up Up & Away"





Here's the colour chart for the pencils...



And here is Rain.  I have Paper Pieced her umbrella, wellies & raincoat, used 4mm pearls for the buttons & stickles for the rain.  I coloured with the Polychromo Pencils again.  The papers are We R Memory Keepers "Love Struck"






And now for something a bit different.  I read this book a couple of weeks ago - in 2 sittings!  It is an AMAZING read.  So much so I really want to read it again.  It won the Whitbread Book of the Year award, and was thoroughly deserving in my opinion.  The main character is 15 and suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, and I can't tell you how well the novel gives an understanding of his thinking.  Rush out and buy a copy now and let me know what you think.  I loved it!


Reading is my wind down at the end of the day, and I seemed to have passed this love of books onto Daisy - we are currently reading Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, and she gets really really ratty with me when reading times up - she would sit up all night if she could, something of course I never ever did - with a torch - under the covers - without my glasses on ;-) (sorry mum!)

Right time for me to put my feet up tonight I think.  Talk to you soon.

Keep Smiling
Ruth
x
ruth@fairyheaven.co.uk

Saturday 3 March 2012

Patched

Evening all - and what an evening it has been!  Hopefully by now you will have noticed something different (and probably thought you were on the wrong blog!)  Had a wee oops moment tinkering with things I shouldn't have been and managed to delete my WHOLE blog layout! Talk about panic!  Daisy of course was cool, calm and collected and just said "well start again" so that's what I did, of course with the design Guru's help (any excuse not to have to go to bed!).  It's a bit different to before, hope you all like it!  Have added a follow me by email tag over on the right too so, in theory, if you sign up you should get my blog updates direct to your inbox!

Next thing, please don't laugh at my poor photography tonight - I will get used to photographing textiles!!!  This definitely is the way NOT to do it, but it will give you an idea tonight lol!  Since papercrafts are now pretty much my day job I decided I needed to do something else to switch off, and patchwork was top of the list!  Here's my very first ever quilt...

This one took me a good few months to finish off because I had never even used a sewing machine before but I am so pleased with the finished result!




So then a few weeks ago I took a notion to have a play with an Amy Butler fabric bundle, and here are the results.  This one is only the front at the moment and still needs backed and wadded but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colours so much!  Think some bunting is on order with the offcuts!


Think my little sisters might have her eye on this one, and pretty sure she has a special birthday coming up so this could solve a present problem ;-)

So I know I said I'd have a 4 hour goody bag class extravaganza announcement to make tonight, but between housework, building Hogwarts & getting carried away reading the Chamber of Secrets, plus the impromptu blog design time has run away with me so will save that for another night!

Sweet dreams everyone, and happy creating!

Ruth
x

Friday 2 March 2012

Chilled!

Well I can't believe how relaxed I am this evening!  I have had a day at home today due to the gas man coming, and it has been bliss!!!  First time ever I was actually happy a tradesman was 3 hours late!  I pottered about, did loads of washing and just generally didn't stress!  My batteries feel well and truly recharged tonight - and they will be even more recharged shortly when I curl up with the latest issue of Sew Hip magazine which I got my hands on today.  Have had a quick glance through, and not sure which project I want to try first - I think possibly the cushions on the front cover!  Will get Daisy enlisted to help tomorrow I think!  Also had a read of an interview with the very inspirational Emma Castle, the face behind Bagladee (find her website at www.bagladee.com)  Have had the pleasure of chatting with her via twitter and she is so lovely, super enthusiastic and helpful, a definite role model for those of us just starting to turn our hobby into a business!  I am inspired!  Have a look at her website, her bags are absolutely stunning!


I've got a custom card to share with you tonight that I made a few weeks ago for a 55th wedding anniversary.  55 YEARS!  I still can't get my head around that!  It's such a special achievement to be married so long, and they are a brilliant couple.  When Bob asked me to do this special card for his wife I chanced my arm and asked for a wedding picture, and am so so glad that I did.  A quick scan later and here are the finished results.  A very simple easel card with a vintage feel...



The ribbon is my newest Malaysian import and I just love it - if you come into the studio and stand still for long enough you may end up with some tied to you!

Right, I am off to read the rest of my mag in bed.Details of a kit class to come tomorrow (but if I forget please remind me!)

Night night all, sweet dreams
Ruth
x
ruth@fairyheaven.co.uk

Thursday 1 March 2012

World Book Day

Morning all!  Just thought I would quickly share with you the results of an inpromptu "photo shoot" with my daughter and nephew this morning for world book day!  Introducing Katie Morag & Tiresome Ted, with George, The Smartest Giant in Town...











Have a fabulous world book day everyone - I am very much looking forward to curling up on the sofa with a good book after my class tonight

xx

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Slapped Wrist Apology :-D

Evening all - as the title would suggest I am going to begin with an apology...I got a row for my spelling, from my mum lol!  Mortified!  31 years old and mortified!  My spelling has always been pretty good however I do have a really bad habit of blogging late at night when I'm tired and never spell check, I will now though!  So I am being very very careful this evening!

Here are a couple of pictures of a special commission I received earlier last week.  It was for a baby card with the baby's name and date of birth - nothing unusual there, however the birth date of the baby was two days later than I received the order.  There could be a whole new market for psychic card making!  Of course the baby was due by scheduled c-section, but was still strange.  Was also totally paranoid about it because when Daisy was born we had chosen the name Abbie, but one look at her and I knew she was definitely Daisy.  As a result I made the card so that it could be changed quickly and easily.


The last picture is the inside, had some left over patterned papers so had to put them to good use!

Not only was the baby born, but so too was a big brother who needed a very special card as well.



The star embellishment on this are little mirrors - not the easiest to take pictures of!

In other news the new craft studio is just about totally set up now.  It has been a little bit of a roller coaster of a couple of weeks.  I have been so excited about the new space as it is such a major step, however the shine has been taken off it slightly with the loss of my job which happened very quickly after I signed my lease.  In my younger days I was the queen of making snap decision (I KNOW my Mum is having a chuckle to herself reading this!!!!).  I decided to leave school at 16 in the morning, went out and got a job in the afternoon, and my poor mum and dad came home from work to a school leaver rather than a higher student!  Pretty much the same thing happened a couple of years later when I decided on the Wednesday I was fed up and wanted to move away and by the Friday night I was on a bus to a brand new job and life in Brighton!  I have mellowed slightly in my older years and didn't take the decision of taking on a studio lightly, I had a plan, or so I thought!   My steady employment would be piece of mind, and for probably the first time ever I felt things were under control and actually felt settled (which is miraculous!!!).  I even double checked and triple checked and then asked again that everything was ok for my job before I signed the lease on the studio, then bam, my job was gone!  I am drowning in a sea of CV's and application forms at the moment (which I am trying very hard not to embellish with flower punches and sparkles!).  I have never been so stressed or worried in my life, which is silly because I know things happen for a reason and something will come up. 

Sorry I am rambling slightly however felt I should explain why I haven't been as bright and bubbly and full of the joys as I normally am!

And I feel a bit better for a ramble!

I will shut up now (and post this once I've spell checked!)

Night everyone, thank you so so much for reading, every one of you brightens my day!

Ruth
x
ruth@fairyheaven.co.uk

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Crafty Tea Party Loveliness

Evening all!
It's been a month since my gorgeous baby girl turned 9 so I thought it was about time I shared some of the pictures of her wee tea party...six girls, 6 decoupage cupcakes, and vintage china decorations!

The cake - obviously the centrepiece of any birthday party - and for daisy the more chocolate and the more girly the better!  Fresh roses complete with glittered edges in a vintage teacup mounted on top of a chocolate fudge cake, and we then finished the pretty cardboard cake stand with chocolate muffins, chocolate donuts, and chocolate brownies...


Plenty of chocolate dipping sauce for the goodies and the mountain of fresh fruit...

Obviously my princess had to have a personalised banner...

The table lies in wait - the girls decoupatched cupcake trinket boxes and wooden mirrors...(sorry - the sun was interfering with this pic...

3 loaves of heart shaped sandwiches - I must be blinking mad lol!



The guest of honour, I cannot tell you how proud I am of my grown up girl - she is such an amazing help now, and I don't know where the time has gone...we are most definately a team and I don't know what I would do without her - she's my little rock...

last but not least, the gorgeous party "bags" my brilliant mum made for all the girls - mugs, lipgloss, nail varnish and loads more all done up beautifully

Pretty sure my mum got some better pics on the day, but this kinda gives you a general overview!  It was a brilliant day, and despite Daisy not being 100 per cent well on the day (It was the start of a viral infection that absolutely floored her) she absolutely loved every second.

Thanks everyone for looking, and I hope you don't mind my departure from the usual craftiness!

Keep smiling, night night
Ruth
x
ruth@fairy-heaven.blogspot.com