by Carla Louise | Jan 15, 2013 | Creating, Food & Baking, Life Magic, Projects & Challenges |
January 6th saw the very first of our annual craft swaps (though I’m not sure we can wait a whole year for the next one) – organised by Mimi, the idea was that all nine of us would make enough of whatever we chose for each participant to go home with one. It ended up in January by accident, but we think we’ll keep it there as it’s so lovely to have something to look forward to after Christmas!
The edible things were long gone before I had a chance to photograph them, teehee – wonderful alcohol-infused vegan chocs from Annastasia at Midorigreen, and yummy chocolate fridge cake from Helen. The button magnets (genius!!) from Mimi also escaped my photo shoot as they’re adorning my filing cabinet/noticeboard in the studio!
My contribution? Kilner jars decoupaged with pin up ladies (Elvgren paintings, as he’s my favourite pin up artist) and filled with cutters, a tiny pot of ginger, my favourite gingerbread recipe and glitter. Of course 🙂
It was a wonderful afternoon, full of tea and giggles and happiness, and we all went home sparkling with the joy of friendship and sharing things we’d made… a rare achievement for a grey day in January, I don’t usually sparkle much straight after Christmas!
I loved seeing how everyone interpreted “make something” differently – we had no duplicates, and I was amazed all over again at the talent within this group of women I’m so proud to be part of!
I can’t for the life of me find the PDF of the gingerbread recipe – will put it up if I locate it!
by Carla Louise | Sep 8, 2012 | Collecting, Creating, Photography, Thrifting |
EDIT 23/11/20 – I’m getting fairly regular requests for the manual for this machine – I’m so sorry, I gave it to a friend when I moved house in 2015 so don’t have the machine or the manual any more 🙁
Quite some time ago, I broke the little portable sewing machine my Gran gave me. The tension has gone, and when I took it in to be fixed they told me, gently but firmly, that it would be significantly cheaper to buy a new one.
So I have existed without one till now – not critical as I plan a lot of sewing and rarely get round to actually doing it, and have been able to beg, steal or borrow machines to use when I’ve needed to make things like the parrot costume.
However, lovely Kim at work gave me one quite a while ago, and only its weight and bulk stopped me from bringing it home till now. One very long day, a sturdy suitcase and a few pulled muscles later, and here she is, installed in my studio… isn’t she gorgeous?
Joining my Singer and my Jones (meep, that means I now officially have a collection of vintage sewing machines), but superior in that she has an ELECTRIC PEDAL… she’s very heavy, but threaded up and whizzed through the test piece very smoothly. I have bobbins that fit her, so will get some new needles tomorrow and we’re off!
Here’s to a long and happy relationship!
xx
PS Pretty sure Kimmy doesn’t read my blog – but if you do, a million thank yous, I’m in love!
by Carla Louise | Apr 29, 2012 | Adventures, Creating |
I’m finding it increasingly hard to believe we’re still in a drought and still have a hosepipe ban – it has done nothing but rain for days!
My weekend has been rather lovely though – went to see Mum & Dad’s new flat, including their thoroughly gorgeous blue sofas and Dad’s reading lamp – wish I could sneak that out without anyone noticing, hehe (the flat is not ready to move into yet, but it’s getting there!):
I ran around town buying last minute stuff for the next three weekends (uni reunion in Loughborough over the bank holiday, Julia’s hen do in Paris and canal boat trip with Rob and friends) including surprises for Jules and a proper waterproof jacket – lol!
(hmm – no photo, waterproofs are not flattering. But hopefully will keep me dry!)
Then saw lovely Sharon and had icecream to celebrate having tried on the bridesmaids dress and found it now does up. Yup, my weight loss worked – but after this weekend I’m now fairly convinced it doesn’t fit again, lol! Back to le diet tomorrow… sigh. Loooong phone catch up with Lou, designed my business cards which I’ll order this week and was generally very productive. Although did nearly get flattened in the car park by wind and rain (which seems a tad unfair, if you’re going to be flattened in a car park you’d expect it to be by some large and impressive vehicle, surely?!)
Today I hibernated and worked on Ducking Fabulous until the rain stopped, and then I went for coffee with Wendy with the roof down – squeee! We went to Thorntons, it was lush:
And as we left, I left the water-themed keyring I’d made for the Out of the Blue Curiosity Project (which I talked about in this post) on the table – I hope someone picks it up!
by Carla Louise | Apr 25, 2012 | Creating |
(warning – wordy post)
I have been, for a while, in a toweringly bad mood that seems to be lingering, and I think the way to get rid of it might be to take part in the Curiosity Project’s new venture, Out Of The Blue.
This involves leaving a random gift for a stranger, photographing it and then hoping they will find it and come and tell us about it. Of course, if they don’t, you’ve hopefully still have made someone’s day with an unexpected treat.
I don’t know if it will cure my malaise (which I suspect has been brought on by the diet and the unrelenting crappy weather) but we’ll give it a go.
I considered leaving a present in my office, but there are so few women here, and I am so unlike the majority (all?) of them, that I think it would be too obvious.
On the train is a terrible idea, because I do not want to be arrested, nor for it to be thrown away because commuters are too frightened or otherwise occupied to pick it up.
So that leaves the following: somewhere along my walk to the train station (preferably on a dry day, of which there are frighteningly few at the moment); on the stairs in my building (but there are only six flats so it’s not so random); on a car in the car park (but I’d be furious if someone touched my car without my knowledge/permission); one of the approximately forty-nine coffee shops within ten minutes’ walk of my work (I’m not even exaggerating that much) or somewhere totally random on the weekend.
I’m leaning towards totally random – this weekend I’m away at a friend’s birthday, next weekend I am at home. Perfect.
Now for what to leave….
Both inside and outside Ducking Fabulous, I make things. I’ll probably add chocolate to whatever I leave, but for the main part I’m thinking something small and pretty, and perhaps themed… I’m a little obsessed with my new domino necklace range, so maybe a pocketwatch print in a clocktower? A leaf print in a woodland? A unicorn print in a stableyard? An abstract print in a coffee shop?
Hmm. I’ll keep you posted!
