The Eternal Maker Crafts

Friday 13 July 2012

It's raining cats and needle felted dogs


The question that we are all asking ourselves at the moment...... how can be there be any more rain left to rain!

I think like everyone, we are thoroughly fed up with gloomy rain clouds overhead and giant puddles underfoot!

So it was with great excitement that we opened our latest delivery from Japan, full of gorgeous Japanese needle felting supplies, it was like a box of sunshine appearing on our doorstep!

After taking some inspiration from the book "Dogs" I decided to spend my wet weekend stabbing (I mean needle felting) my very own little welsh terrier, and even if I do say it myself I am quite pleased with the results - not bad for a first attempt and my damp days off rescued by fun crafting! result!

So, with the prediction for more rain and the school holidays looming, we would like to take this opportunity to invite you all to our very own (indoor) crafty event days - Button Day and Felt Day!

Pop the dates in your diaries now - Button Day is running on Saturday 28th July and Felt Day will be on Saturday 29th September!

Throughout Button Day there will be Button themed "make and takes" - suitable for all ages - whether your 5 or 105! From just £3 per person per project, our selection of brand new make and takes will inspire and excite you! Projects include a felt button penny purses, button coasters and button heart hangers!

You can spend some well deserved "me-time" at the Button Jewellery Work Station or enter our Button Card Making competition. (We have extended the closing time until 3pm on the day!)

There will also be a chance to add to our giant Button Mural and there may even be some buttony refreshments on offer as well!

So, how about coming along to a day where rain doesn't matter, where even if it tips down there is still the opportunity to spend some fun crafting time with family and friends or make some new friends around a table of buttony and felty goodness.

Come join in the fun - in store, at The Button Company and The Eternal Maker's home - 41 Terminus Road, Chichester PO19 8TX (01243 775462) (any time between 10am and 5pm).
We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Saturday 7 July 2012

Stamping out procrastination

We've had this rubber for stamp making in the shop now for a while, ever since I bought it in a fit of inspiration after seeing the clever uses of it I saw when I went to Japan 2 years ago.  As with many things I buy in a fit of inspiration, the inspiration had worn off by the time I managed to find the time to do something about it.   So this rubber sat on a shelf gathering dust for at least a year (not really, just because I don't use it doesn't mean no one else does), and every now and then I look at it and think: Today? No,  i don't think so.  I have A, B, and C (not to mention D, E, and F) to do first.   And then I don't make eye contact with it for a while, because I am not good at rejecting things (well, not too bad at the rejecting bit, less good with the dealing with it afterwards bit).
But today, on this rainy Saturday afternoon, when I did have a million other things to be doing, not least planning the new ad campaign, I procrastinated in the rubber's favour and decided to make my own stamps.
Lacking the equipment didn't seem to be too much of a problem.  I couldn't find my lino cutting tools (donated to me by my grandma, possibly from the iron age. not worth finding, really) so decided that as most of my ideas were straight lines, I would just use a craft knife.  If you look closely at the picture below you'll see my craft knife and you'll see why Rachael told me off.  It's not a blade with masking tape, honestly.  Don't anyone else tell me off.  I know, but it's my fingers. 
 The first design was the chevron.  It seems like chevrons are everywhere at the moment, and I'm fairly (ok, very) susceptible to their charms.  We have lots of Riley Blake chevrons in soon, and many of those will come home to live with me.  I also really want a chevron necklace, (like this) but I can't decide whether I want a wood finish or metal.  I do promise in some areas of my life I am very decisive.  But not in things like this.  I dither.  I procrastinate.  I wait until I don't want it much anymore.  And only then I get/ do it.
Triangles were the second design, and one I didn't really want to show you, because it's horrible.  I would edit myself but personally I like it when other people show me their wrong steps.  It makes me feel better about mine, so I should share accordingly, no matter how much I really don't want to.
The third design was the pink one on the top picture.  Triangles again, the reverse of design two, and so much nicer.  I am into triangles.  Not as much as chevrons, but almost.  
You may notice I've stamped onto fabric, but I must confess this was just a practice run, and I didn't use proper fabric ink.  I think you can use Versacraft ink, but I'm not sure if this is the best - anyone got any better suggestions?  I really want to make my own chevron fabric. 
Also, I'm not sure exactly of the type of rubber of these stamps.  I don't know if it even matters, but it was really nice to use.  I googled it's code, along with 'rubber' and 'japan' to see if I could find out, and I won't share what I found.  Let me just say my innocent eyes are much less innocent than they were before the googling.
These chutney jar labels are really what prompted me to have a play.  Rachael and I had a play around with lino cutting before her wedding (these chutneys were made by Rachael's mum and were part of the picnic hamper ploughmans that we had on the day - delicious) and after many false starts and food breaks made these.  Can I just say that the rubber is loads easier than the lino, loads.  These three were knocked up in less than half an hour.  If I'd had known that, I wouldn't have procrastinated from using them for so long.  There's a lesson in there somewhere.  I'm not totally sure I have the inclination to look for it though.
Anna x