Tag Tuesday - Found Objects

Whenever I'm at the seaside I love collecting shells with the plan to create something with them, however, most of the time they just get added to my shell stash.  I've always been aware that different shells can be found on different beaches but over the last few years I've noticed something new.  One time recenlty, there were lots of broken shells with sea-worn edges just like the broken glass you find on the beach.  Last year I found lots of limpet shells with their peaks cut off.  It is some of these I have used in my tag.

I thought this fabric was ideal - it's got a turquoise/green colouring in the bottom third and blue at the top.   I was disappointed that the shells which I had sewn on blended into the background and so glued the other two on.  These two now represent shells swept onto the beach and the bottom three are tumbling in the surf. 

Tag Tuesday - Gardening

I've been neglecting tag making and the rainbow scrap challenge lately due to other commitments both craft and non-craft.  A nudge to get going again was what I needed and so I made two gardening tags yesterday.

The first is loosely based on my Chelsea Pinks competition entry for my local Embroiderers Guild a few years ago.  As I was rummaging in my scrap box for some green scrim, I found a small piece of knitting which used the same yarn as I'd used in Chelsea Pinks and also a photo printed onto a sheer which was perfect to use.

My second tag shows some of the photos I took whilst visiting the Chelsea Flower Show a few years ago and are of design features I liked.  As the show opens this week it seemed apt to incorporate them into a gardening tag.

 I'm not going to the show this year but if you're going I'm sure you'll have a lovely day out.  I'll be watching some of the television coverage.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Pink #2

I went back and trimmed the scrappy edges from my pink fabrics and made this today.  It's about 9" by 6.75" and will go in the pile of scrappy blocks to be made into something later.

 These are the only scraps left!

I've spent most of the weekend weeding so not a lot of sewing done, but after dinner tonight I spent over an hour working on a UFO and it's no longer a UFO. Yippee - another one to cross off the list.  I've yet to take a photo of the finished piece so will post about it another day.

Hope you've all had a good weekend.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge - Pink

This month's colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is pink.  I don't have a lot of pink fabric as you can see from this photo (they're fat quarters which have had bits cut off for other projects in the past).

There weren't many scrappy edges to them so I cut 3.5 inch strips from them, none of them as long as the original full width/length.  I then cut the strips and randomly sewed them together, just making sure that the same fabric wouldn't be next to each other or next-door but one.

None of the blocks I've made so far have been made into anything yet as I'm planning to use them together in one or two rainbow projects.  I was unsure what the pink strips would look like with the red and green blocks but was pleasantly surprised when they were placed together.

This weekend was the first opportunity I've had this month to make anything for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge but hopefully I'll be able to do some more before the next colour is announced.

UFO Challenge - Feb completed

February's UFO was number 1 which is my small weaving piece.  I saved it for taking with me on a train journey and managed to do quite a lot that day.  I've since finished it and taken it off the loom. It was a sample piece to see how the wools worked being woven so no plans for it yet but it's in colours I work with a lot so will be incorporated into something.

These wools were leftover from a cardigan I was knitting which turned into another UFO.  Guess what - it's number has come up for March.  I need to do some thinking about how to resolve the issues I had so it won't be a quick finish.  The UFOs for January and February were both quick hits so it was bound to be a bigger job this time.  I also plan to make something for my mum for Mother's Day so will only have time for the thinking not doing for the next couple of weeks.

Tag Tuesday - Valentine

As well as the customs and traditions of Valentine's day this week's theme encompasses marriage, anniversaries and more hearts if we wish.  I chose to celebrate my grandparents' golden wedding anniversaries and made a tag for both sets of grandparents.  Each tag has a photo of my grandparents on their wedding day as well as one at their golden wedding anniversary parties.  I converted the golden wedding photos into black and white to match the wedding days but decided to keep the photo in colour for two reasons.  Firstly, the colours are 'golden' and secondly, being in colour emphasises the passage of time. 

I don't have any wedding dress material but did have some offcuts of when I made a christening robe so used that for the background.  For privacy reasons, I have obscured the date and names.

If you haven't already, have a look at the other tags on Tag Tuesday.  There's a great variety and everyone seems to enjoy taking part in the challenge.

Tag Tuesday - Hearts

This week's theme is hearts and I have used a heart from a collagraphy session at college a few years ago.   I made some hearts - some were patterned and others were in the negative with a pattern surround.  I've already used several of them on greetings cards but have a few left and thought this one would  be ideal as a tag.

To add some extra interest I have sewn beads onto the plain heart.