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Art and Craft

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Modern fairytale painting

A fairytale in a painting

November 4, 2022

I don’t know if you had the same thing when you were at school, but once a week or so, we’d all be handed a card and we’d have to write a story about the picture on it. I remember it quite clearly because I’d look forward to that lesson and I always wanted to write an amazing story, but I was never inspired by the picture so I was always disappointed with what I wrote….

Fairy painting

Are you an artist? Am I?

When is it ok to call yourself an artist? Is it when you sell a few pieces of work? Is it when you make a full time living from it? Is it when you are represented by a gallery or when you’ve had a well-attended solo exhibition? Or is it simply when you spend time when you can, creating art because you love it?…

Creativity ideas #ourcreativeyear

February 21, 2022

This year, I thought it would be a good plan to try and encourage everyone to be more creative. Every month I’ll be writing a few ideas based around a prompt or theme to hopefully get you going! …

handmade Christmas cards

Giving handmade Christmas cards

December 8, 2021

There’s something about sending handmade Christmas cards that’s loaded with all kinds of baggage. A few people will get it. My cousin will get it. My mother and sister-in-laws will get it, because I know they love to craft. Oh – I can actually think of two of my friends who are creative souls, but I don’t think the majority of people receiving my cards will fully understand why I do it….

Natural dye kit review

Review of the Natural Dye kit by Fibrecrafts

November 19, 2019

The timing for this experiment was important: I needed the weather to be good enough to be able to hang fabric outside to dry, but cold enough for us to still have the Rayburn lit so that I wouldn’t have to use the electric hob for hours on end to heat the dye pan…

bullet journal inspiration

Starting to bullet journal

February 13, 2019

Bullet journalling has been around for a while, but to be honest, I didn’t particularly feel I had a need for it. Until now…

craft storage solutions

Craft storage solutions for organising and sorting out my crafting stash

September 27, 2018

Craft supplies multiply when you’re not looking, don’t they? Well mine certainly have, and they were taking up too much space in my sewing room. That’s mainly because my fabric stash is currently doing the same thing! However, I decided it was time to separate the business from the hobby, and relocate my crafty bits and bobs….

handmade thank you cards with zig brush pens

Zig Kuretake Clean Colour watercolour brush pens review & a handmade thank you card idea

After some research, I put the Zig Kuretake Clean Color real brush watercolour brush pens on my wishlist and was lucky enough to receive a pack from my cousin for my birthday. Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted brush pens like this! I think it must have been an episode of Blue Peter when they showed an artist who decorated narrow boats with beautifully crafted swirls that inspired me to recreate the style as best I could. When I grow up I want to paint narrow boats!….

Derwent Inktense pencils review

Review of the Derwent Inktense ink pencils

Drawing and painting was a hobby of mine that I spent an awful lot of hours on when I was a child. I took GCSE and A-level Art, but since then, I have rarely allowed myself the time to just enjoy it again. You may already know that I have an Etsy shop where I sell my pyrographed items, which often is a form of drawing, but when I’m making something to sell, it’s never quite as fun! I have resolved to stop thinking of time spent drawing and painting as an indulgence, and started allowing myself some free time to enjoy myself and relax. So last year, whilst away in the Lake District, I treated myself to some new art supplies from the Derwent shop in Keswick, and following my discovery of the Derwent Inktense sticks, I put the Derwent Inktense pencils on my wishlist. Chris obliged with them as a gift on our wedding anniversary, and here’s what I think of them so far…

how to make a rustic advent calendar

How to make a simple beautiful rustic advent calendar

November 27, 2017

I don’t know about you, but I’ve really struggled to find nice (and affordable) advent calendars in the shops this year. I haven’t seen any from Cadbury at all in Tescos, so I don’t know if there’s a general shift away from the chocolate advent calendar, or whether there’s just a short supply in my area. Anyway, it doesn’t matter too much to me, because I’d already planned on making a rustic pretty advent calendar for my kids. (By the way – this last point is a “blogger lie” ie. I made it last year, but was too late to write a blog post about it!) This one is pretty quick and easy to make, and is really effective….

green fairy wedding dress

How to make a woodland fairy wedding gown – The story behind the dress

September 21, 2017

If you’re new here, I should begin by saying that I make dresses for my business, Threads of a Fairytale. My husband, Chris and I had the photoshoot in mind before I even started making the dress, so I knew exactly what I wanted to begin with, which is fairly unusual for me! So the dress originated as a vintage pure silk Indian tunic that more-or-less fitted me. It’s a gorgeous mottled moss green pure silk fabric with lovely metallic dots – called Mukesh work – which give a beautiful shimmer in the light. Then I went round my various stashes of fabric round the house, gathering bits and pieces that would blend well with the colour…..

Lensbaby Trio 28 lens Review – The story of the photographs at Tyntesfield Manor

January 25, 2017

This was the biggest surprise Christmas present I’ve had! I didn’t even know about this lens, so I was amazed that not only it exists, but it fits my little mirrorless micro four thirds camera, the Panasonic GM1! One of my favourite photographers is Emily Soto – I adore the soft focus effects of her portraits, but without the equipment, I’ve had to try and emulate the style in post-processing, which I haven’t had the time yet to learn properly. Now, I have a lens that does it for me, and even better, there are three lenses in one!….