petal soft

twinkle toes

Hello there.  Here's a bit of shoe closeup from a linen doll I've just finished.

Here's a closer look at her..

..and a full length view..

Her skirt is a vintage blanket, her shawl is knitted by me, her camisole is made from the sleeve of a vintage, hand sewn baby's nightgown - the stitching on it is beautiful, as you can see from this photo..

..her hair is made from hairy string - here's a back view..

I plan to make some more doll's like her - the possibilities for different outfits are endless! - and I want to make some more papier mache dolls like this one - but there aren't quite enough hours in the day at the moment - that's all for now!

Except to say thank you to Susan - for this bundle of loveliness...

paper pieces...and other things

Hello, I've finished this piece now, added some beads and some subtle stitching, the photo still doesn't really capture it  -you just don't get the texture of it, the feeling of wanting to touch it - I just don't think you can get that from seeing something on a computer screen as opposed to seeing it 'in person'.

Anyway, here's a bit more detail...

..and a glimpse of another paper piece I'm working on..

..and something(or someone) else that's coming to life...

 

..I always seem to have lots of different creative projects on the go at once - I find it too limiting to just focus on one thing at a time, as I've got so many ideas for things I want to make I feel like I could burst! - I just need all the time in the world to make them! It means I do end up with lots of half finished things floating around - they all get finished off at some time though! Is anyone else out there like that? or are you all really diciplined?

details

Hello. Here's a bit of detail of an embroidered paper collage I've nearly finished. I made the paper base ages ago, it's one of the few things I had unpacked so I decided to do some work on it.  I really struggle to photograph these kind of pieces - especially the whole piece, as the palette is pale and subtle - you can't really get the detail when I photograph the whole thing - I really need to learn to use my camera properly instead of using the auto function!  I might put this on etsy - when its framed. Does anyone out there know a good place to buy box frames (in the UK) - the last place I got some was habitat - but they are really hard to find, especially reasonably priced one - any tips would be much appreciated.

(my posts are like buses aren't they! - nothing for ages and then two come along at once!)

because I'm worth it....

Hello there. I made myself a bracelet..just because...or maybe to mark my one year blog anniversary  which was a few days ago. It's just a simple thing, a bit of lace and some vintage buttons - and I've been waiting to use this little vintage heart button for ages and didn't really want to give it away - so now I get to keep it and wear it.

The last bracelet I posted about, Susan asked to see a picture of it on my wrist, I tried to photograph it but it just looked like I had a broken arm or something! - Anyway - I photographed this one round the top of a vase - anyway, you get the idea...

..hope you all have a lovely weekend, and thanks for looking at my blog over the past year!

little things

Hello. Here's a bracelet I made - a bit like the one in this post.

Just working on little things at the moment as I don't have my workroom sorted yet. I'm pleasantly aching from digging the garden yesterday - it was warm and lovely to be outside.  The trees in our garden are finally putting out a few little leaves and now, along the hedgerows where I walk with Sparky it is lush and green and full of wild flowers....things are starting to feel hopeful....

all dressed up

Hello. Promised I'd let you see this doll when she was dressed...

..heres a bit of shoe detail...

Casey asked what I used for her hair..

..sorry to be non-specific but it's just some wool I got from a charity shop but it's been knitted up then frogged so its a bit kinky which makes it look a bit nicer I think.

Hope you like her.

loose ends

Hello there - these posts are like buses - nothing for ages then two come at once... here's a little loose end I'm tying up. This poor doll  has been in the alltogether since I made her about 3 years ago (yes I know, another unfinished project) on a weekend away. 

I drew the pattern for her freehand and hand sewed her together.  I wasn't that keen on her so I put her to one side, but lately she's looked a bit chilly so I decided to use up some nice vintage bits and pieces which I've been wondering what to do with and make her some clothes.

 

I'll let you see her again when she's decent!

last look

Hello there.  I sent all my wall plaques and cards off to the Bessemer Gallery this week, so thought I'd give you one last look at them.  I find it really hard to part with things when I've made them - I just want to keep them all! (I know - not so good if I want to consider making any kind of income from making things!). I think I worry that I won't be able to make it again (which of course I won't as most things I make are one of a kind), or be able to make anything as good as the last one, especially as I was quite pleased with the wall plaques this time round.  That's the really good thing about having a blog though, I never used to photograph the things I'd made and sold in the past (mainly because I didn't know how to use the camera - still don't really - I just use the 'Auto' function!) but now I take photos and put them on here - its nice to be able to show someone what I've made and to have a record of it.

Bye bye ...

I've also nearly finished some Christmas cards for Cocoa - the chocolate shop I told you about, here are some pieces waiting to be fixed onto cards...

..back soon with some different things to show you.

it's a wrap

Hello.  Just a quick post. I made this wrap a while ago for my knitting needles from vintage embroidered tablecloths (I did feel a bit bad about cutting them up, but there you go, most of them were stained or tatty and all are from charity shops) and thought you might like to see it. It's only got these pretty coloured needles inside for the photograph - normally it's stuffed full of all my old metal needles that I've inherited from my mum and that she's picked up for me from the charity shop she works in.

I got the fastening a bit wrong - the ribbon should be sewn on differently - I'll probably undo it and change it sometime...

pretty though isn't it?

show and tell

Hello there. I said I would show you this wallet when I'd finished. I used one of my favourite vintage mother of pearl buttons to fasten..

and made a little 'petalsoft' label..

Thanks for your comments on my last post - the pieces in the last posts were wall plaques (not cards - although from the photo's I know they look like cards), they are more detailed than the cards I make and normally have some hand or machine embroidery on them.  They are mounted on wooden blocks about 15cm square, with a hole drilled in the back to hang them, or they could just sit on a shelf.  This picture shows them a bit better...

These are waiting to be put onto wooden blocks..

I'm thinking this photo might be nice for a new blog banner, maybe its time for a change, what do you think?

me time

Hello there.  I've been spending some time in my workroom, surrounded by all my vintage bits and bobs making these, my idea of heaven. I've got three more to do to go to the same gallery as my christmas cards.  I also finished this little wallet/purse - will take a picture of it at the weekend (only time I can take pics at the mo - light isn't very good before I go to work and it's dark when I get home).  I also finally finished reading this book (I'm a very sporadic reader), its the sequel to Chocolat. It's not the best book I've ever read - not as good as Chocolat - or Blackberry Wine - which I think is the best Joanne Harris book, but I loved it for the images it conjures up, especially of warm cafes in winter and of course the way she describes the hot chocolate! I have some work in a little chocolate shop, called Cocoa, owned by two lovely ladies. They bought fives pieces, similar to these to hang in their cosy little room in the back, full of vintage things, where they serve the most amazing hot chocolate in pretty vintage mismatched china cups and saucers.

P.S.  The Open University wrote to me today to say that I could re-do my exam next year - that's a relief -now I know I did the right thing.

pretty things

Hello again. I've been having a blogging interlude, catching up with things and having my mum to come and stay. Here are just a few pics to get me back into the swing of things.  Iain bought me these tiny jars as a surprise present from my favourite vintage shop 'The Front Parlour' - as he knew I'd love them.

Recognise this fabric...?

I made a bag with it too - I used a second-hand mohair scarf for the rest of it (of course there's some unfinished knitting in it - thats why I make so many bags!).

And the title of this post? - I was just talking on the phone to my friend Jo (hello there lovely Jo- she reads this blog) and she said that she was going to talk to me about something and she couldn't remember what it was - so she said to her partner 'What would I have been going to talk to Christine about?', and he shrugged and said 'Making pretty things?'....yep - that about sums me up!

busy busy

Hello there.  Thank you for all your lovely, generous and encouraging comments on my last post.

I'm busy making Christmas cards at the moment for a couple of shops - I might try and put some on etsy too.  I find it difficult to make something specific like Christmas cards but still make them in the aesthetic  or style that I like - but I think I've managed it here.

Glad some of you liked the dolls house - I'm looking foward to spending time on that now the pressure of studying has eased off, so I'll keep you posted with updates...

p.s. for Bev who asked were I get the images from for my cards - I get some from here, some of the images are free to print/download but you can also pay a donation for the upkeep of the site -(there's also lots of very inspiring stuff on there) I also have some of my own vintage photos/postcards that I copy - I stain the images with tea or coffee before I use them.

make do and mend

Hello there.  This cat is another Netty pattern, like this doll. I love his necktie, it's just a scrap of embroidered silk I picked up at a vintage clothes shop in Holt, I love Holt - have you been there? I would love to live somewhere like that.  Anyway, I'm digressing a bit, but that's what I love about picking up vintage bits and pieces and then using them,turning them into something else, and remembering where I found them.. His vintage button eyes were bought in my favourite local vintage shop, it's called The Front Parlour - I've probably mentioned it before but I've had lots of things from there over time.  His body is made from a heavy vintage linen sheet that I bought at a vintage textile and clothing fair in London - it was probably a crime to cut it up, but I knew it would be perfect for him - I've stained it for that primitive 'netty' look.

I love the idea of 'make do and mend' of turning something that's worn or discarded into something new, giving it a new lease of life.  I'm fortunate enough to live in a time when make do and mend is not an essential way of life, and I suppose it fits with today's concern for the environment - but I love it because to me it's purely creative, making something out of nothing, or something new out of something else - what could be more creative than that?

This is another 'Front Parlour' find...

this piece of vintage beaded trim was made into a necklace with a bit of mending and by adding a button fastening - I wear this quite a lot.

This beaded bracelet started life as the cuff on a 60's beaded dress. I bought the dress years ago from a place called Affleck's Palace in Manchester, which used to be mostly vintage stalls, but I think there are only a few now...

The rest of the dress is beaded on net, it's served me well, I've used bits of it on lots of projects (and I made some earrings out of a couple of the large rhinestones) and pieces of it still turn up on things I make now.  The only drawback about the ethos of 'make do and mend' is that you tend never to throw anything away, because you just never know what you might be able to turn it into...

blast from the past

Hello.  This is one of my most favourite dolls. 

She's an 'attic doll' and the pattern for her is in Making Cloth Dolls by Dorothea Hall (I should think its out of print now but you can get some secondhand copies on Amazon).  There's another lovely idea in the book, for a 'memory doll', whose clothes are made from scraps of fabric, lace and trimmed with bits of old jewelery  etc., all of which have sentimental value. I think it's a beautiful idea for using treasured bits and pieces or maybe a doll for a child from favourite clothes they have grown out of. Of course my fabvourite bits are the details....I love her hair...

and her shoes.

nip in the air..

Hello there.  I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here, there is a definite nip in the air, it's starting to feel autumnal, which makes me want to knit!  I knitted these last year, and it'll soon be time to wear them again on a winter coat or cardigan (notice how I manage to even include fiddly little beads in the things I knit?!).  The bottom one is knitted from a Rowan pattern , you knit it in a long string, like eyelashes, then roll it up to make the flower, the top one is just a basic crochet flower shape but knitted in big wool...what are you knitting?

matchy matchy

Hello there. The blanket is growing (2 squares...woo hoo!!) it's a good thing to do when you don't have much crafting time as you can just do a bit here and there.  I'm writing my last assignment this weekend (then I'll be starting revision for my exam) - My workroom now has the computer in it too - so I can look longingly at my wool as I swot away!!!

I hadn't realised my blanket is going to match this doll I made ( I obviously have a real thing for these two colours -  you must be sick of seeing them).  The pattern for her is in Knitted Babes by Claire Garland - its a great book as it has the patterns for all her clothes and accessories and most of it is simple to make.  Her dress is adapted from the pattern in the book, as I think I used the wrong size needles or something but it was miles too small so I knitted two of them and sewed them together (hence the full skirt) and crocheted the edge. I did try and make the little slippers for her from the pattern in the book but they went a bit wrong too, they ended up as the ears for my wish jar creature (waste not, want not!- I always keep everything - you never know when it'll come in handy!).  I just realised that I'm making it sound like perhaps the patterns aren't very good in the book - I don't think it's that - its just my knitting incompetance! Here's a better picture of her..

just in case you were wondering....

...she is wearing pants!

musical ears....

Hello.  This is Mr Choir. He's about 3 inches high and has lovely big knitted ears (for listening to music).  He was made with love for Iain, to wish him luck before a gig he played earlier this year. He's a talented musician - you can hear his music - (and see another one of my critters,) - here , it's also a very lovely website, take a look (oh, I also made the heart on the sleeve).   It's our tenth wedding anniversay next month, it makes me think how lucky I am to have a husband who appreciates little felt critters with knitted ears. 

puttin' it out there...

   

Hello there, hope you are all having a lovely weekend.  I like to read this blog, and I bought this book, by it's author.  The blog, and the book, are full of inspiration and positivity..and fun.  One of the activities in the book is to make your own 'wish jar', to put all your dreams and wishes in, and in effect to put them 'out there' in the universe, this sounded like a really positive and powerful idea to me, so I made my own wish jar...

....someone lives in my wish jar...my wishing critter...

....I'm off to post some wishes in here....

.....here's hoping all of our wishes come true.

wip

Hello. Here's a little work in progress, I'm working on some bits and bobs to go in the etsy shop with the notebooks I showed you a few posts ago...

..its going to be a little wallet, vintage cloth backed in linen, with a bit of detail of course.

I'm aware I'm supposed to tag eight more unfortunate souls after my recent tagging by rubyred, I haven't forgotton, just can't quite bring myself to do it yet! (yes I know some people don't mind doing it!) - will get round to it soon...

netty

Hello there. I love primitive dolls, and my favourites of all are those made by Netty Lacroix. This doll is made from a Netty pattern - you can also find the patterns here. She's called Mothie and she has her own cat....

...her dress is made from vintage linen fabric, its an inner for a sleeping bag, or some kind of bedding cover. I kept the original linen buttons on it at the hem of her dress and the name of the person it belonged to...

piece by piece

Hello there. I only seem to be managing a weekly post at the moment, not good.  I'm going to try and post more often next week, even if I just manage some pics and a few words. I work full time for this organisation, and its quite emotionally demanding (and also rewarding) work, plus its a new job, so I'm taking in lots and I had a 'break' from working for a bit (lucky me, I know) but now, for financial reasons, I need to work full time again...consequently, I'm exhausted.  The different pieces of my life aren't quite fitting together at the moment, in fact, I don't know how to make them fit, apart from not pushing too hard and letting them come together by themselves.

This is a pieced together wall hanging, I made a while ago just for fun and using up bits and bobs, it's a bit rough round the edges...but that's what I like (it's also kind of how I'm feeling right now!).

something old...

Hello.  I love paper, as I've probably mentioned before, and I like combining paper with fabric and stitches.  I made this paper and fabric piece, made with tissue, beads, old photos and vintage scraps, a few years ago - I used to be a member of an art group and the group exhibited here at Bolsover Castle.  The only remit for the exhibition was to make a piece in response to the castle itself - we all came up with very different things, from found objects and sculpture to performance art, we could also choose the location around the castle where our piece would be placed.  My piece was called 'worn' and I suppose my idea was for a ghostly dress form kind of thing and also around an idea of old clothes being a relic or reminder of the person who wore them, or of the time in which they were worn, just as the castle itself is a relic of its time. I only have this polariod of the dress in it's place in the castle...

...it hangs in my room now, it's a bit battered and out of shape as I've moved house with it several times! It always was a bit of a weird shape though, as I kind of moulded it round my vintage dressmakers dummy (you know, like when you are little and you put papier mache round a blown up balloon to make a, er, kind of blown up balloon shaped papier mache thing....).  The dummy is shaped like a cartoon image of a buxum victorian lady, all big matronly bosom and full hips - except the waist isn't particularly nipped in! It's quite old, maybe it's from a shop for generously proportioned victorian ladies....

....I used some vintage photographs round the bottom of the dress, mostly just 'found' vintage photos, but I also used this one, above, of my nana, my mum's mum.  A funny thing happened, I had to cut the dress off the dummy when it was dry and then stitch the piece together up the back, like a big zip.  I wanted to put it on wooden clothes hanger, and I had a root around in my wardrobe as I knew I had some wooden hangers and got one out which looked a bit old and used it.  It wasn't until I was hanging the piece, that I noticed some writing in pencil scratched into the wood, it said, 'Cooke', my nana's surname...it was her clothes hanger, and I didn't even know I owned it.  What I do know is that I loved making this piece, and all the time I was working on it, it felt right...

something new

Hello there, apologies for the blurry ( I mean arty) photo, but I'm feeling a bit blurred myself, hence the imaginative title of this post! - But I did have a nice sunday afternoon in my workroom, so I have got something new to show you, even if they are small things...

...linen flower corsage-brooch thing....I'm going to make some more of these because I like sewing them..

....and little customised moleskine notebooks.  I'll be putting these in the etsy shop at some point, in the not too distant future if anyone is interested.  Glad you liked my car (it's my first, I still can't get used to saying 'my car'). Also, I'm aware that people have asked some questions in the comments recently -sorry I  haven't answered them yet - I'm not ignoring you honestly.  I'll do a post soon with some answers (perhaps my answers can count as my random things for my recent tagging? that's not cheating is it?!!). Anyway I'll love you and leave you now, more soon.

another day, another doll

Hello.  Ok, I promise this is the last doll post for a while - so if dolls aren't your thing - look away now (you probably won't like this one - I'm not sure I do!) or just stay around for the details.  My next post will be a doll-free zone.  Anyway, this doll is an oldy too - I made her when I was off work for about 3 months after I had an operation (nothing serious - It was just on my feet, I had my bunions removed - very glamourous I know), this was about 10 years ago- I made the most of that time off! This doll was made from instructions in a lovely book called Dollmaking by E J Taylor - I can't find it on Amazon - maybe its out of print.  (I bought it in America when I went to visit my brother who was living in Philadelphia at the time - my one and only visit to America - I want to go back!). Anyway, here she is - she's a bit shy....

...come on, its ok....

I know, she's no oil painting is she? I showed her to someone who said she looked like Margaret Beckett! -If you're not from the UK- this might not mean much to you, Margaret Beckett is a British MP - but if you click on the link I'm sure you'll see the resemblance! - It's the hairline and the bags under the eyes that do it I think (well, it was the first time I'd used sculpey!). Well, she may not be a beauty, but she's certainly well dressed - the little daisies are cut from a vintage hanky, and of course, she's got undies...

...and they're made of pure silk!

Back soon with lots of eye candy - but not dolls!

brown paper packages tied up with string

Hello there.  This is the little critter packaged up and ready to go off to Hazel (It's ok Hazel, I haven't been washed away by all the rain in South Yorkshire).  I love wrapping presents, its one of my favourite things to do ever, my mum always lets me wrap her Christmas presents for her, I love that curly ribbon stuff! Even with just brown paper and string and a few details ( those details again!) you can make something really special.  Even if the gift you give is small, wrapping something in a caring way gives the gift a bit of sparkle, after all, what's exciting about presents is the unwrapping, thats what I think anyway. Brown paper is one of my favourite things though, and old book pages and letters, in fact paper in general really, I like it almost as much as I like fabric - but not quite.  I used to do a lot of papier mache years ago - I think it was quite fashionable at the time (circa 1992!), I made mirrors, bowls and all that stuff, and dolls (of course).  I had this book, and there were lots of projects in it, including dolls, I made this doll at that time...

She's a bit of an old lady now.  She's a bit more recent...

...bit of a departure for me, not really my colours, but I do like her, she goes with the vintage cotton of her dress anyway. This doll makes me think of Emily for some reason.  Last one doll lovers (sorry to those of you who are creeped out by this doll stuff - just one more doll post to go and normal service will resume).  This one isn't papier mache, I think she's made some kind of air drying clay....

They're so easy to make, you only need to roll out bits for the arms and legs and make a little cloth body and you can use all your favourite scraps of fabric.  I cleared out my fabric cupboards recently and gave my friend's daughter, Poppy, a bag full of bits of fabric and lace (mostly bits of brightly coloured silks and velvets that I don't use anymore). I was helping Jo (Poppy's mum) make a costume for a play Poppy was in, and Poppy had a look in my workroom and saw this doll.  She was desperate to make one, the next day and two packs of sculpey later, Poppy and her little sister Elfie had made and dressed two beautiful dolls, I must take a photo of them for you.  Well I'll go now, if you did enjoy this post, you might want to look at these, they're lovely.

second hand rose

Hello you lovely crafty bloggers you! Can't you tell you've cheered me up?  One of the things I love about making dolls is using my vintage bits and bobs to make their clothes, there's something very satisfying about turning a scrap of embroidery into a camisole top or an old button and some felt into a corsage for a doll.  I like to show you a bit of a close up before I show you the whole thing, you know by now how much I like the details, (when I was little I loved those quizzes you used to get in the newspaper where they show you a really close up picture of something and you have to guess what it is, like a cheese grater or something, I used to be good at those).  Anyway I'll stop waffling and show her to you...

...she's just a simple rag doll really, about 20 inches high, I just drew the pattern freehand on some brown paper (I'm not really into accuracy when crafting - thats going to bite me on the bum at some point I know) I only really made her so I could make the clothes (sorry doll).  She's made out of some felt stuff, I think it's supposed to be for quilting or something (?) but I liked it because it looks a bit rubbed up, not smooth like normal felt, although its a bit too white for me, maybe I'll age it next time with tea or something. Now some details, her shoes...

...and her skirt...

Believe it or not this is vintage petticoat edging, its woollen and all hand embroidered, the stitching at the top and bottom (is that called herringbone stitch?) is really beautiful.  I bought a length of it from an antique place I go to regularly along with another, narrower, piece with berries embroidered on it.  I try to use all of the vintage bits I buy and not be too precious about them, I've also used some of this on a bag, but I'm definately using it sparingly, I love it so much.  Thats all for now.

strike that, reverse it

Hello there.  As willy wonka said ' so much time and so little to do', perhaps he was talking about the kind of person who has time to send out judgemental anonymous emails like the one I received recently.  I'd just like to say to Mr/Ms Anonymous: one, I've been making things considerably longer than I've had a blog, two, the blog is only a glimpse of the things I make, three, when I'm influenced by another artist/maker, I say so (and have said so), four, if I make something which is heavily influenced by another artist/maker I wouldn't try to sell that item, in any case, the majority of what I make, I make for myself (I enjoy creating things too much to try and make a living out of it), five, the work I do sell is original to me ( as far as I can ever know that, given that I don't know everything that's out there and I don't live in a vacuum), six, I don't write a blog in order to attract a 'following' I do it because I want to, I enjoy it and there are some nice people out there.

On a nicer note, thank you to Dottie aka Tif, for featuring me on her blog, it was very lovely of her, and thank you to the lovely Manda, for being so supportive.

I'll leave you with another doll (made from a McCalls pattern - can't remember which one, just in case anyone thinks I'm passing it off as original artwork) but tweaked a bit.

from eye candy to arm candy

Hello. I used to make bags under the label 'arm candy' but I liked this one too much to part with it.

It's made from a thrifted piece of embroidered linen (the embroidery wasn't quite finished so I added bits - I'm sure you can tell which bits I did!) and I embellished it a bit with beads and tiny sequins.

I'd love to make some more of these type of bags for my etsy shop (the etsy shop is sadly neglected at the moment due to my catching up with my studies, but I will put some more things in it some time soon, I promise!), but I hardly ever find pieces of embroidery on natural linen fabric (i.e. beige!). I've got loads of embroidered bits of white or cream fabric, which I love too, but not as much as the fabric of this bag. I love to think of the person who embroidered it originally, I can't stitch as well as she could, but at least I've given it a new lease of life.

knit,knit,slow,slow

Hello again, as the title of this post suggests, I'm a slow knitter, not that I actually knit slowly, but my knitting projects come together very slowly, as I only ever seem to knit in short bursts, I've mentioned before that I don't sit still for very long, and much as I love to knit and really want the finished product, it just doesn't happen quickly enough for me.  Consequently I've got a cupboard full of beautiful yarn and lots of half finished projects - I'm sure I'm not the only one out there....! Also I haven't been knitting very long (about 2 years), so I have to look things up as I go along.  This is one of the first things I ever knitted...

its a bag from one of the Rowan magazines (number 37, I think).  I just used some cheap dishcloth cotton yarn I'd bought years ago and the coloured cotton yarn I got from a charity shop.  Up to now because I'm challenged in the knitting attention span department, I've always knitted small things, like these beady bedsocks..

But then I fell in love with this...