Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas day. Have you all been good girls and boys? We are still marvelling over our 20lb turkey! Who needs a 20lb turkey?! We have calculated that this will take approximately 7 hours to cook!! Its Christmas madness!!
Have fun. Have lots of food. Have lots of drink and bask in the warm glow of this festive season.
Posted by Maxine at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)
No matter how much I try I can't stop buying things which I think will 'come in useful later'. W and I often wonder why our house is so cluttered and one of the reasons is that I have a massive pile of ever expanding fabric to be used someday for something.
This duvet is just great and cost 50p! How can I say no to that?! I will make myself use it after Christmas. I have to stop messing about and get stuff done! I am kicking myself though because last week I went into Oxfam and saw this big yellow felt blanket for £2. I stopped myself buying it because I was trying to have some thrifting restraint. Of course, today I thought it would be perfect with this duvet I bought. I went back and it was gone - boohoo!
No more thrifty restraint for me! If I see it I buy it!
Posted by Maxine at 03:53 PM | Comments (1)
Look at the lovely parcel I got in the post today from Esther at All Things Creative. I swapped one of my felt purses for two bars of her handmade soap. The soap smells yummy and look at all the extra goodies she sent. Especially that bunny soap - too cute!
I have hung a bag of lavender on my radiator but if you have any other tips or ideas for the use of the lavender and rose petals please let me know.
Swapping with other bloggers is so fantastic. I want to encourage all of you out there to do it and if anyone else is interested in swapping with me let me know!
Posted by Maxine at 03:46 PM | Comments (3)
Just an update on how things are going. There really has been Narnia fever here for a while, which has been great for us because the mural was included in the CS Lewis Festival tour and was also worthy of a news broadcast! This was shown on the 12th December and courtesy of my lovely futureboy of a husband, who captured and compressed it for me you can see it too!
Posted by Maxine at 01:04 AM | Comments (1)
This is me looking into one of my favourite cupboards - the one containing the mugs which hold my many cups of tea. A while ago I switched to decaf cause I drink that many cups of tea in the day (honestly it is a LOT) that I thought maybe it would be healthier if I cut down on the caffeine intake. I know its not quite as bad as coffee but since the changeover I have definitely had more energy (which says a lot cause I am still tired most of the time!!).
Posted by Maxine at 11:08 AM | Comments (2)
I am off to see Mr Scruff tonight at Spring & Airbrake in Belfast. I cannot contain my excitement. I just know its going to be great, and so often when I go out these day the music totally sucks.
I have booked my lie-in tomorrow morning and I intend to eat lots of pizza, drink lots of beer and dance away in DJ heaven.
Posted by Maxine at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)
Ok this list is mainly for my lovely friend Darren, but also for anyone else who is interested in purchasing leftovers from the Craft Fair. Between 10 and 20% of these sales will go to the Down Syndrome Association (I will donate 20% but some items are by other people, who think it is 10% so I don't want to change these). Also I am considering this list a kind of teaser - mainly because I haven't got the time at the moment to photograph every item separately (very lame I know, but with Christmas pressies still to get, a house over flowing with mess and laundry, a sick child and husband, I am running out of steam!). So, you can see some of the items in previous posts but if you are interested in anything then let me know and I will be sure to get a photograph of that item before money exchanges hands!
Crafty Goodies
1. Felt purses (see in previous post 'More Purses' - £8 (20% donation)
2. Rug hooked christmas tree decorations (see recent craft fair post) - £8 (10% donation)
3. Narnia Christmas Cards (from the mural - see previous posts) pack of 6 - £10 (20% donation)
4. Various handmade corsages - £8 (10% donation)
5. Various handmade greeting and christmas cards - £2 each (20% donation)
6. Rug hooked cushions - £28 each (see craft fair pics) (10% donation)
Arty Goodies
1. Screenprinted Guardian Angel in red & black (see craft fair post) - £45 unframed or £65 framed (20% donation)
2. Screenprinted Fallen Angel in red & black (see craft fair post) - £45 unframed or £65 framed (20% donation)
3. Drypoint framed 'Whirlwind' print (couple embracing) - £40 (20% donation)
4. Collograph print 'Lovers' (see recent craft fair post - at the bottom of pic 2 lovers in embrace) - £45 unframed (20% donation)
5. Large Screenprint 'Tea for Two' 2 spotty teacups against vintage flock wallpaper - £80 (20% donation)
6. Various leaf inspired watercolours - £28 each (10% donation)
7. 2 different handmade paper sculptures - £65 each (must double check this price with my friend) in box frames (10% donation)
8. Various screenprinted converse shoes on handmade paper - £35 each (20% donation)
9. Large 'Cumman Strand' landscape in acrylics (you can see it hanging in craft fair pictures) - £120 (10% donation)
10. Black and white linoprint 'My Street' - £40 (20% donation)
This should keep you going for now! There are a few more bits and pieces, but hopefully there will be something here. Don't feel obliged to buy anything and you will have to trust me to forward on all donations if you do!
Thank you for showing an interest - it is very much appreciated! :)
Posted by Maxine at 03:05 PM | Comments (4)
Aaaaah I have just dyed everything in the wash dark green. It's amazing how upset you can get over a pile of laundry. Not only that but to top it off I have accidentally washed a 'hand wash' only jumper, which is now a lot smaller and has answered all of my 'how to felt sweaters' questions I had!
I think the dye-run culprit was a cheap dark green t-shirt I bought for wearing under things - damn those cheap crappy colour loose shirts! Grrrr...
Posted by Maxine at 05:01 PM | Comments (0)
After a busy weekend, feeling exhausted Sunday evening and a sick child (she has a very bad cold) I am only just getting around to this post.
So here's a few pictures of our fair on Sunday. We had three large tables, which we spilt between cards, prints & paintings and sewn goodies such as corsages, cushions, purses etc. It was a great stall. Unfortunately the fair wasn't busy at all and we only sold a few things, mainly cards. I think it was the same for everyone. Although everyone seemed in high spirits for the day.
On another note, Susan (pictured with me above) and I went to the CS Lewis lantern parade on Saturday night and walked with it to the cinema, where we finished our night by getting a big tub of popcorn and watching the 'The Lion, the Witch and the 'Wardrobe'. We had a great time and I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to go to a parade here that's non-political and multi-cultural. I will definitely be going next year, its just a pity that the July parades can't take on such a carnival atmosphere.
Posted by Maxine at 11:04 AM | Comments (2)
For me, there is no greater surprise than the birth of your child. I spent the whole of my pregnancy referring to my bump as 'he' or 'him' and when the big day came I realised I had been so wrong when my gorgeous little girl was born. I would never find out the sex beforehand, it would totally spoil the surprise.
Posted by Maxine at 08:18 PM | Comments (6)
How things have changed! Instead of being out on the town these days, I spend my Friday nights staying in, being domestic, watching TV, or in this case painting old yarn cones green.
These are in preparation for the Christmas crafts with the toddlers on Monday. They will be turning them into their very own Christmas trees, decorating them and adding a sparkly star to the top.
At least I haven't abandoned my weekends completely - as you can see my glass already needs a refill!
Posted by Maxine at 08:08 PM | Comments (1)
As it is taking me forever to get anything other than posts up on this blog I thought I would let you know what is currently happening in my life. This is something which will feature on my blog eventually (honest gov!).
Currently Reading...
Ghostwritten by David Mitchell. I am finding this hard to get into but I am hoping that after a few chapters I might become as engrossed by this as Cloud Atlas. I originally read Cloud Atlas by this author and, after a slow start, I thought the book was great and very different, with its independent interlinking stories and strange dialects.
Currently Listening...
Sometimes i just have the radio on for background noise when I am being lazy. But recently I have been listening to 'Good Times 5 with Joey and Norman Jay' courtesy of my lovely friend Simon. It is fantastic, has some absolute classics and never fails to have me dancing around the house.
Currently watching...
Like a lot of people I am really enjoying Lost right now, its just the kind of thing I like with its strangeness and 'you never know whats around the corner' plots. We have also been on a mammoth, 'watch every episode of the X-Files from the start' kick for a while now. I have also really got into Bleak House, I love period drama and this has such a great cast. As for Emily TV, we can't get enough of Charlie and Lola and Peppa Pig -probably the best in kids TV right now.
Currently doing...
Frantically trying to get organised for Craft Fair on Sunday. Still have a few details of the Narnia Mural to complete and I have been enjoying doing the Christmas crafts with the under 3's at the groups I go to.
Currently wishing...
I had more hours in the day and a holiday planned for next year. Something to look forward to during the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Wish I could see all of my friends in England, Scotland, Canada and afar for Christmas drinks and merriment.
Posted by Maxine at 01:20 PM | Comments (0)
A funny snowman that Emily and I made today, from an old jar, the inside of a pillow and googly eyes! Thanks for the idea Karen, its great! In fact we made 2. I don't know who had more fun, Em or me!
The calendar was a mother and baby group craft morning I did this week. Next week we will be making christmas trees from old yarn cones.
Posted by Maxine at 12:45 PM | Comments (1)
I have been toying with the idea of putting this entry up for a while. I was going to wait until it was absolutely underway or the site even finished before I said anything (the superstitious jinxing thing in me!). But last night I realised that, the whole reason for me having this blog in the first place was to give myself a big kick up the bum to get things finished or even started. So it seemed that I should do this entry.
My friend and I have been talking about this project for a number of years now and we are finally getting things into place to make it work. I am not going to say too much about it at this stage, because i really don't want to jinx it!
This is the logo we are using, although we still have to figure out how the bee works with it, in order for it to be versatile. We have set up the site but we are only in the holding page phase.
Hopefully writing this will force me to keep up the momentum and get it finished!
Posted by Maxine at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
As you can see I have managed to make a few more purses, of various sizes and designs. I doubt I will have time make any more before Sunday, but at least it is something. I am going to attempt to make a few pins at least, but I will have to see.
Posted by Maxine at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)
Ok, for me this is a kind of cop out. But I have been so busy lately and really do like to take part in Illo Friday. Anyway it also kills two blog entries with one stone if you know what I mean! I decided this year that I would do linoprints for our christmas cards. I have done a lot of different printmaking before but I have always been in the workshop using a press of some description. Its a bit different trying this at home.
For a start I had never tried to do something this small and it is a bit fiddly. Also instead of a press you have to use the back of a wooden spoon to transfer the image onto the card, so as you can imagine its a lot less precise. So after a couple of different plates I decided to go with this one. Its plain and simple and works for me. I added a couple of snowflakes afterwards just to lift it a bit.
Posted by Maxine at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)
This months topic is 'reflective surface'. This is me at work (well 'at home - at work' if you know what I mean). It reminds me a little of my lomo pics (I must pick up my camera and take some this Christmas! I also have a film that's been siting around waiting to be developed for ages).
For some reason I also find this image a little creepy, hmmm. Maybe its the fact that coincidentally the viewfinder and the flash windows on the camera look like my nostrils. Strange indeed!
Posted by Maxine at 09:54 AM | Comments (4)
Here is a prototype of a lightweight purse I made yesterday. I will be making a variety of these to sell at the craft fair on Sunday. I think its nice to get some small pieces together which might be suitable for stocking fillers and for those people who don't want to spend too much.
Posted by Maxine at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)
Just a quick photo of some of things I made with the craft group last Friday. We also made Christmas cards using this process and other techniques. We used recycled and scrap material for the main part of the stocking. We then either painted the fabric with acrylic (in the case of the blue one) or adorned the stocking with whatever buttons or beads we had lying around. They were then stuffed with a combination of wadding and cloves, for a yummy Christmasy smell!
Posted by Maxine at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
As it is after midnight ( I am very tired!) and due to the popularity of these cards so far, unfortunately I don't have a photograph of the actual cards to show you. This is a bit of a crude image of what the cards are like, but hopefully you can get an idea from this.
Basically there are 6 different cards depicting various elements of the mural. They are mounted on an off white card, which is then sitting off the main card slightly, giving it a raised frame. Underneath each card is a relevant phrase form the book itself.
I don't have a payment facility set up yet but if anyone is interested in purchasing the cards just let me know via the comment field and I will sort something out. I am currently selling them for £2 each or £10 for the set. I will get a photograph of the actual cards up in a few days.
Posted by Maxine at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)
Just thought I would let anyone living here in Northern Ireland know of the 'Santa's Workshop Arts & Craft Fair', which is on this Sunday 11 December. It is taking place at St George's Market between 10am & 6pm. It's in aid of the Down's Syndrome Association and there will be lots of things to buy or crafts to make. There is also a 'breakfast with Santa' for the kids between 10 am and 12, but you will need to book tickets in advance of this (I think the tickets are £3 and you need to contact Rebecca at the Down's Syndrome Association on 028 9070 4606 to book).
I will be there all day selling prints, cards and various craft items. So come along, buy some unique gifts and donate to a worthy cause in the process.
Posted by Maxine at 10:28 PM | Comments (3)
I almost forgot to post about my crafty night from Friday! It was my first time in a tutor type capacity and it went brilliantly. I have to say I was very nervous about the whole situation. Partly because this is all new to me and partly because I knew a few of the people there and I suppose I feel I needed to perform perfectly! Silly really. At the end of the day it was just an evening class that was combining Christmas crafts with a meal afterwards, so everyone was there to have fun not to judge my teaching skills.
It also helped to have the moral support of my friend Susan, who was holding the craft evening with me. She has a lot more experience with these things than me.
We made decorations for the tree using recycled fabric, buttons, trim and stuffing them with wadding and cloves. Then we made Christmas cards using both similar methods, plus various layering techniques. I meant to take my camera to record it, but in my pre-tutoring nervousness I totally forgot. I will try and get a photo of what we did, but I am a bit behind with things at the mo.
Posted by Maxine at 11:28 PM | Comments (1)
Our friends, Darren and Sara sent Emily this very cool t-shirt in the post last week. It is so unbelievably cute. Thanks so much you guys! You can find more cool t-shirts, prints and other items from Airside. I am already tempted to get myself a shirt! How come the bear one doesn't come in my size?!
Posted by Maxine at 08:21 PM | Comments (1)
I am a graphic designer & stay at home mom, originally from England, now living in Belfast. I love all things handmade & spend my time being creative by either making bags & accessories or producing original prints, paintings, photography & cards.
