[ c r a f t e d ] Owl Be Hanging Over Here

In the spirit of “making pretty things” I borrowed MICROCRAFTS Written by Margaret Mcguire, Alicia Kachmar and Katie Hatz. Since I felt that starting small means that it is doable for me.

I chose the to sew a micro-owl plushie, but the book has easier crafts to do. I just wanted to do something that involved sewing.

The book suggested to sew a loop of embroidery thread on the owl so that you can hang it as ornaments. I was deciding between a necklace or a keychain. But since the phone materials were well within reach than the necklace chain. I made it into a mobile phone charm…HUH? I am confused as well. But I am glad how it all turned out.

It was fairly easy to make this – it is small though so I had hand cramps while sewing. And because of its size it was really hard to stitch the beak and the eyes. I pricked myself a couple of times trying not to sew the front and back together.

I plan to make something new once a month (this should be easier to follow through right?).

 

[ c r a f t e d ] My First Embroidered Pouch

A  few weeks ago – or was it a month ago, Books Actually hosted a Sashiko Embroidered Pouch Workshop conducted by one of my crafty inspirations – the lovely Sandy of The Cookie Cutter Blog  (she blogged about the workshop here).

I am really taking advantage of whatever free time I have left to join workshops and create something. So this workshop came at a very good time. Plus I have always wondered how one sews a zipper by hand!

It’s no secret that I like polka dots and although I am not a fan of pink I was going for a “pretty” feel. I was very satisfied with my choices!

Everything coming along nicely, and yes a piece of chocolate for break. My eyes hurt a bit and my hand cramped halfway through sewing, I guess it’s because I don’t really have much sewing practice.

Sandy teaching us how it’s done. I love that as a small group she was able to focus on us especially when we were having difficulty with some parts of the process. She also engaged everyone in conversation and the overall atmosphere was fun and friendly.

I didn’t finish the whole pouch during the workshop, so I had time to work on it at home. Sashiko embroidery is interesting and though my skills are rudimentary I want to try my hand at it again – when I find the time. Overall, it was a great experience for me – to meet like-minded people and learn new things.

Thanks to Sandy and the people at Books Actually!

[ c r a f t e d ] Brooch Embroidery Workshop

I have been feeling a bit of crafting rut lately so I signed up for a Sparkly Embroidered Brooch workshop taught by the creative Marie of Etincelle Studio and hosted at the Little Happy Shop at Holland V.

We all started with a piece of floral fabric that served as a guide for us in sewing on the nice collection of beads and sequins. Oh those wonderful sparkly things!

This was how I began, at first I was apprehensive because I totally suck at combining colors, slowly bit by bit I got the hang of it. Embroidering really relieves stress and makes me more relaxed. I like how after a hectic day I can sit down and focus one sewing one sequin at a time. It’s gratifying to see it all come together.

 

And voila! The finished product, it took me seven hours to complete this- and yes I am slow! I am so happy to have attended what is probably Marie’s last workshop in Singapore. Plus it’s always great to make new friends with the lovely ladies I met there. The Little Happy Shop also hosts different workshops, you might wanna drop by to check them out!

 

 

[ c r a f t e d ] My Beatles ATCs

Since I started to become active on Swap-Bot, I learned a lot about Mail Art. I have recently been making ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). Most of the ATCs I have created were based on songs from the Beatles. I just made it really simple and did not implement any other mix media or collage techniques, and it doesn’t help that I mainly do crafting at night after a long day at work.

NOTHING’S GONNA CHANGE MY WORLD // ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

PASTEL DREAMING // ALL MY LOVING

KISS KISS // ALL MY LOVING

I really hope that I can improve on my ATC making! I really found making ATCs as instantly gratifying when it comes to a creating something in a snap.But I am really bad at documenting because I forgot to take a picture of my All You Need is Love ATC!

Thanks for looking!

[ c r a f t e d ] DIY Stationery

Since the LetterBox Project kicked off I had to make more time to create stuff! It’s unbelievable rewarding and creatively satisfying. Today, I just want to share with you guys my first foray into creating stationery.

I started with the stuff on hand, nothing too fancy at all. I didn’t even bring out all the craft stash I have. These are just made out of magazine pages and scraps of paper, with glue and markers. I had a lot of fun with it than I thought!

HIGH CUT  + TEXT

MATERIALS USED: HIGH CUT magazine page ( Korean magazine), black Sharpie and red felt tip pen

FASHIONABLE EXPRESSIONS

MATERIALS USED: Vintage notepad paper (Books Actually), model images from a Japanese magazine, scrapbooking paper

These are actually quite easy to do! I am so glad it turned out quite pretty! I know some people can’t bear to tear or cut up their magazines, but since I tend to accumulate a lot and I am in need of more space, I think it’s better to give magazine pages a second life!

Off to brainstorm more ideas!