Sunday 28 December 2014

#CraftBlogClub // Secret Santa

Holla! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas - I think this year was my best Christmas yet!! This year I decided to take part in the Craft Blog Club Secret Santa. It's the first year I have been involved in any kind of Blogger Secret Santa & I really wanted to get involved as it is a great way to get to know other Craft Bloggers & you get to make a cute, unique gift for someone - as well as receive something too!! Names were pulled out of a hat at random and I was given the lovely Emma Jones! I chose to make Scrabble tree decorations to stick with the festive theme! I made some for myself last year and everyone always compliments them so thought they would be a fab gift idea. I also wanted to do something that could be enjoyed after Christmas too, so decided on a Hessian Heart that can be hung in the home!


After sending my gift in the post, I eagerly awaited the delivery of mine! I was a little naughty and opened mine on Christmas Eve as I was too excited to wait - Oops! I got the cutest coaster from Fiona (Fizzi Jayne)! She said that the inspiration came from my baking posts...I do love abit of baking!! Isn't it the nicest? I think the Candy Canes will come in handy for a Mint Hot Chocolate as well...!


I am so pleased with my gift and happy with the gift I sent as well! Were you part of the Craft Blog Club Secret Santa? If you were, post your blog link below; I would love to read your post about it too!! 

♥   
ZoFlo




Wednesday 17 December 2014

Feeling Festive // Wrapping Presents

Different post today (not my usual Thursday Thoughts) but as Christmas is only a week away, I thought I would show you all my Christmas gift wrapping! I love wrapping gifts & felt this may inspire you all to be a little more creative with your gift wrapping! Also if you aren't very good with the actual wrapping part (like me) then the pretty added extras takes the attention away from the messy wrapping - sneaky!



Firstly, I have the most amazing wrapping paper! I got it from Wilkinsons for £2 a roll. I got 2 rolls as I am abit OCD & like everything to match so wanted to be sure I didn't run out. The gift tags are also from Wilkinsons, but they are what I had left over from last year. I am sure they will have something similar there this year though - they have a great range of gift wrapping & tags! Now on to the fun part - RIBBON! I did a Craft Haul back in the summer when I purchase Christmas Ribbon for 50p a roll! I'm sure you all thought I was crazy at the time, but it looks so great now! I also had some red ribbon that I got from my local Haberdashery. And of course, the 2 ribbon rolls Fantastic Ribbons sent me. 

I'm so pleased with how it all looks - have you done any fun / pretty wrapping this year? 

♥   
ZoFlo





Tuesday 16 December 2014

Christmas Cards // Mango Salute Review*

Apologies for not uploading a post on Sunday, but as I Tweeted over the weekend I have an exciting review post to share with you all! As you all know, I love to dabble with abit of Card Making. However, sometimes there just isn't time for this...or perhaps you just want to break the tradition & send a slightly more unsual Christmas Card this year? Well say hello to Mango Salute...

Mango Salute is a website that sells fine art cards created by various Artists, Illustrators & Designers. They showcase a range of different cards, all slightly weird & wonderful, & give you the opportunity to add your own wording, photographs and videos! Mango Salute were kind enough to let me send 5 cards so I could try out the order process. Some websites completely confuse me, which puts me off straight away. Mango Salute was so simple and even allows you to "Appreciate a Card" (the equivilent of a Retweet / Facebook Like) which is saved to your account so you can go back through your favourite card designs later. I think this is such an excellent feature as I always see things I love, then scroll on by and totally forget about it.


Without giving too much away, I wanted to tell you what I chose to do with one of the cards I sent! I chose the Winter Penguin (by Izzy Wingham) because it is so cute and immediately reminds me of the John Lewis Advert...so I obviously added in a video of Tom Odell, Real Love! This appears on the back of the card linking straight to the video when you scan it with your smartphone - pretty clever idea! (You don't have to use YouTube...you can also record your own video message as well! Again, really clever idea)! What do you think of the Winter Penguin...?

Watermarks are included on the website for the protection of the art.
Your printed card will not show any watermarks.

Want to try it for yourself? Head on over to the website and take a look - there are so many different design to choose from. I love the Magic Letter cards too; I think they would make great Birthday Cards! Mango Salute are very kindly offering my lovely followers 40% off until Christmas Day. So if you want to send a fun, unique Christmas Card this year to anyone in the world, just enter Xmas40 at the checkout to get your discount! But be quick, as there are only 9 days left until Christmas!!

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 11 December 2014

Thursday Thoughts #4

I'm sure this is one quote that you have all come across before..
 

As a Craft Blogger, I should be doing creative things most days, but sometimes it is hard to find the time to do a creative project everyday - how do you express your creativity? Are you working on any exciting projects recently?

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 4 December 2014

Pinterest Inspiration // Christmas Edition

As I am sure most of you are aware, I am a big fan of Pinterest. If I ever need any inspiration, I head straight for the App. And with the Festival Season in full swing, I recently paid a visit to get some ideas for Christmas Decorations & Cards.


1. Ice Skates Decorations - These are so adorable & I love the idea for using a paper clip to make the little skate! They are such a simple idea too - they would be easy peasy to make, even for younger crafters or someone who is new to sewing!

2. Hama Bead Christmas Card - Childhood flashback!! Who else remembers Hama Beads as a kid? I use to love these & I love the idea of using them to make Christmas Cards. You really could do any design you want & again, it's a great one to do with younger crafts (except for the part where you have to get the iron out)!

3 - Bow Christmas Card - This Christmas Card design is a little more sophisticated than the Hama one & I love it. I think I would use my die-cutting machine to emboss a pattern onto the card itself though, but still keep the idea of the bow! I think it's great to have different textures & layers but at the same time keeping it relatively simple.

4 - Mittens Decorations - I have actually had a go at making some of these myself & they look fab. They are really simple to make & you can really get creative with different coloured felt & buttons.

Have you seen any great ideas on Pinterest Recently?

 
ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #3

This weeks Thursday Thoughts is such a cute one...

Photo Source

Do you love Sewing too? Be sure to post a link to your blog in the comments box below - I love seeing what other bloggers have been up to!

 
ZoFlo

Sunday 30 November 2014

Crafty Christmas Gift Ideas

As I am feeling particularly festive today, I thought I would upload a few gift ideas if you are looking to buy something for someone who loves abit of crafting! With the 1st of December looming, hopefully this post will help you get organised and find the perfect gifts for your creative loved ones!

First up on my list is the Kirsty Allsopp Craft Kits from Hobbycraft. There are so many different kits to choose from, including a Lavender Bath Bomb Kit (I may have my eye on this one), which is great if you know someone who loves to dabble with abit of everything and try new things.

Image Source

I have stumbled across the Sock Craft Kits on Not On The Highstreet and think they are so great! They have so many different kits to choose from, including a Monkey, an Owl & a Sockosaurus (of course). My favourite has to be the Bunny - it is just too cute! These are appropriate for most ages (although children under 12 may require help) so would be fab for mini crafters too!

Image Source

If you are buying for someone who is an avid sewer, then I would definitely suggest taking a peep at the Cath Kidston website. They have some great sewing accessories that would look fabulous in anyones sewing basket, and sewers will always appreciate an extra tape measure, a new pair of scissors or a packet of pins. Seriously. Cath Kidston also have some amazing sewing baskets too. Isn't this Kingswood Rose Radio Sewing Basket just the cutest...?


Image Source

 (NB: Only purchase a sewing basket as a gift if you know the recipient actually needs one - I love my sewing basket, so definitely won't be replacing it for a while)

 Hopefully this has helped you out a little with your Christmas Shopping. Or maybe it has just inspired fellow crafters to go out & treat themselves to a pre-christmas gift! Either way, I hope you have enjoyed todays post. Let me know in the comments box below if you have any other gift ideas!

 
ZoFlo

Friday 28 November 2014

Thursday Thoughts #2 (The Friday Edition)

Sorry, I'm a day late! This weeks Thursday Thoughts relates more to my job searching struggles, but can still be applied to the world of crafts.


I think pretty much everyone has been in a situation where they can relate to this one though! So next time you're feeling blue / panicking about something - remember the 3 P's!! We will all get there eventually!

 
ZoFlo

Sunday 23 November 2014

Sunday Baking // Dainty Lemon Cakes

I realised that it has been a little while since I have uploaded a Sunday Baking post - August to be precise - so I thought it was about time I uploaded another baking creation! I decided on Dainty Lemon Cakes, a recipe from my Bake-a-Boo cook book.


The recipe says it makes 20 mini cupcakes, however I didn't have any mini cases (and when I went shopping for the ingredients I found Edible Cupcake Cases...could not resist), so I made 8 normal size cupcakes topped with plenty of lemon butter icing. YUMMY! They were really simple to make, just a standard cake mixture with some lemon zest & juice added. I did put more lemon juice in than the recipe states as I like the flavours to be a little more obvious. What do you think? I love the edible wafer flowers too, they add a cute, girly touch!


Have you done any baking recently? If you have any recipes you would recommend, please let me know in the comments box below.

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 20 November 2014

Thursday Thoughts #1

Sorry for the lack of blog updates recently - I've been busy graduating!

Horraaay!
Although I think Graduation is a valid excuse for this week, sometimes I am not so great at blogging regularly. I think it is much more difficult to keep up when it comes to Craft Blogging as some projects aren't as quick as others and I don't want to upload a rubbish post for the sake of it. My aim is to make Sunday my regular "post uploading day"  but I still want to give you all a little mid-week helping of craftiness - so here are my Thursday Thoughts!

Photo Source
For me, the above quote is completely true! I am still finding my feet after finishing University and find that crafting is the only thing that keeps me happy. It helps to keep my mind off of the real world, but also keeps my brain working! I hope to post weekly quotes of a crafy nature, so if you have seen any that you would like me to share, please let me know.

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 13 November 2014

Upholstery // Part 3

For anyone who has been eagerly awaiting this post - I am so sorry it is later than I had planned. Real life has taken over recently and with a few sewing problems along the way, it really slowed up the process. But it is finally here, the finished chair!

 

 The arms were quite difficult as it was important to get them looking the same. The left arm looked perfect, but the right arm was a little more tricky - typical. I asked my Gran to do that bit as after much pulling and stretching I couldn't get it to look right. I think she did a great job and they match really well. Today was spent carefully sewing up the back with a curved needle. I was really pleased with how neat this looked. The final piece was plastic sheeting stapled to the bottom!

The only part that is missing is the cushion. I did spend a whole day working on this and accidentally snipped a little too far with the scissors and made a hole (yes yes, I wanted to cry). I am going to attempt it again next week, but it is so difficult. If anyone has made a box cushion before, please give me some tips in the comments box below as I am struggling with the corners! Once I have mastered it, I plan to do a blog post to show you all how it is done.

 So what do you think?

 

It took quite a little while to get this one done, about 5 / 6 days in total but I would definitely recommend taking on an upholstery project if you have the time (and the money - material can get expensive). I think my next upholstery project will perhaps be something a little smaller though!

 
ZoFlo


Be sure to catch up on Post 1 & Post 2 of this project!

Sunday 2 November 2014

Upholstery // Part 2

If you haven't already, please take a look at part 1 of this project, as today's post is part 2!! After completing the base section & one of the wings, we then had to work on the other wing, the back, the front, the arms & the cushion - so much sewing & piping! This was a lot to take on and for some reason me & my Gran thought this was doable in two days. Turns out it really wasn't, but we have managed to completed both of the wings, the front & the back (so only the arms & the cushion left to sew). 


To make it feel a little more like we had actually made some progress, we spent most of yesterday putting it all together. You can use tacking pins, but we used a staple gun, a glue gun when needed and plenty of wadding & foam for extra padding. I won't lie, it was much more difficult than I expected. You have to make small cuts so that the material doesn't pucker when you're pulling it through to the back of the chair, which is so nerve-wracking when you're making something for someone else (in material that they have paid for)! The area around the legs is the most challenging, as it's the area that everyone will notice/see if the fabric is wonky or puckered. It's also really important to make sure the grain of the material is always going in the same direction! When we were attaching the wings, the grain on one of them was vertical whilst the other was pulling diagonally. With the type of material we were using, it may not have been noticeable to many, but as this is for my sister it would annoy me everytime I go over to her house, so I had to unpick the wing and sew it back together so it was correct. It is definitely worth taking your time and doing it properly on a project like this - you definitely need to have a lot of patience.


It's taken a little longer than we had planned, but I will hopefully be able to share with you all the finished chair in the next few days! Horaay! What do you all think so far?

 
ZoFlo

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Pumpkin Carving // A Night of Hope

I never usually carve a pumpkin for Halloween, but this year I really wanted to do one (big kid)! I saw that World Vision were raising money & awareness by carving something a little different in their pumpkins this year. I thought this was a great idea & immediately wanted to get involved in such a great cause. 

World Vision is the largest international children's charity & this year they are asking everyone to carve a heart in their Pumpkin for "A Night of Hope" - raising money for the child refugees in Syria. I thought this was a great idea, as typically Halloween is a night for the children. For them to have fun, enjoying the normalities of life. My carving tools of choice were a knife, a tablespoon and a teaspoon - be super careful using the knife! I got Nick to cut off the top for me and then I hollowed out the pumpkin and drew my design on the front before cutting it out. At first I was a little dissappointed, but it looks so much better when the candles are inside! I am actually really pleased with the way it turned out.

So if you want to do something a little different this year, carve a heart in your pumpkin & text Heart8 to 70060 to donate £5 to World Vision. I am sure you're wondering how your donation will benefit the children of Syria..? Well the money you donate will go towards schools and educational equipment, to help give the children hope for the future - hense being "A Night of Hope". 


What do you think of my heart design pumpkin? (Nicks is the "scary face" pumpkin - obviously)!  Don't forget to upload your photos to Twitter using the hashtag #ANightOfHope or on Facebook for everyone to see your design too! 

 
ZoFlo

Sunday 26 October 2014

Christmas Stocking // Fantastic Ribbons*

 I have recently been sent some lovely festive Ribbon from Fantastic Ribbons and as I am feeling (prematurely) Christmassy, I thought I would have a play and see what I could create using it. I was sent two different types, one which said "Do Not Open until 25th December" and the other said "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - Super Cute!

 After much contemplating, I decided it would be a great addition to a Christmas Stocking - something I have never made before! I had some red fabric lying around and to make it look that little bit more festive, I used some material that I got free from Sew! I thought the ribbon would look great to separate the two different fabrics.



You can't see in the above photo, but I used the "Santa Claus" Ribbon to make a small loop so the stocking can be hung up on a bed post / by the fire on Christmas Eve, ready for Santa to fill it with goodies!! Fantastic Ribbons have such a great range of Christmas Ribbon - head on over to their website and take a look before it's too late!

What do you think of my Christmas Stocking? What will you be creating with your Christmas Ribbon?

 
ZoFlo


I was sent:



Sunday 19 October 2014

How To Make // Christmas Bunting


I am sure half of you are thinking "it's too soon" whilst the other half are thinking "it's never too soon"! I'm afraid I am with the latter as I am so excited for Christmas this year! So you can imagine my delight when the October issue of Sew arrived through the post filled with Christmas themed ideas and free Christmas fabric! There was a selection of 4 projects & I was immediately drawn to the Christmas "Mitten" Bunting as I thought it was so cute and unusual. It was really simple to make and such a fantastic idea that I had to share it with you all...

To make the Christmas Bunting you will need:

2 contrasting (Christmas appropriate) fabrics
6 Buttons
Red & White Twine
White Thread
Iron
Sewing Machine (although you could hand sew if you prefer)

  1. I began by tracing the mitten template in the Sew Magazine (October Issues), but if you don't have this, then I am sure you could find one online or make your own. I then cut out 12 mittens shapes, which will eventually make 6 mittens (3 in each fabric).Be sure to cut your fabric correctly if it is patterned, so the pattern is running in the correct direction.
  2. Pin the mittens together, right sides facing, and sew together, leaving the bottom (straight edge) unsewn. Turn them the right way out and iron to create your perfect mitten.
  3. I then cut out six 3.5cm x 11cm cuffs, 3 from one fabric & 3 from the other. Fold over 6mm at each short edge & iron to press in place. Do the same with the long edges.
  4. Fold the cuff in half and place over the top of the contrasting mitten. Make sure the fold is on the same side on each mitten (so mine is on the opposite side to the thumb).
  5. Sew on the buttons - again, making sure these are on the same side on each mitten.
  6. Hand stitch each mitten to the twine, keeping the spacing between each one the same.

What do you think? I thought they were super easy and so cute! I just can't wait until the festive season properly begins so I can put them up in the house! Check out the Sew website to see what other sewing projects they have. I'm sure (I hope) they will have plenty of Christmas ones soon!

If you have made these, or anything similar, please let me know in the comments box below.

 
ZoFlo



Thursday 9 October 2014

Upholstery // Part 1

Upholstery has always been something that interests me but I wouldn't have a clue where to begin and at the moment I just don't have the time (or spare pennies) to go on a course to learn. My Gran, however, has done a course and dabbles with the odd upholstery project, so I thought it would be rude to not get involved and offer a helping (or hindering) hand!

Unfortunately, I don't have a photograph of the chair before we started as I kind of just began by offering to help out and didn't think it could be a potential blog post. But we began by stripping the chair completely back to the frame (leaving the foam padding on there too). We had to remove the staples carefully though as we intended to use each piece of the old material to create a pattern for the new material. This was the most tiring part and after a while became a little tedious - it definitely helped having two people do this!


Next, I made alot of piping! My Gran wanted us to make it ourselves so it matched the chair perfectly. We followed some instructions we found on Make it & Love it (click here to read) using the same fabric we were using to cover the chair. Making piping is super easy - I will definitely be using this for future projects! Then came the difficult part. We unpicked the different sections of the old material to get the correct measurements for the new material. This took a little while and I double checked everything to be sure that we wouldn't get it wrong! So far we have completed the bottom section and one of the wings.


This is such a massive project and we are yet to find the time to finish it - turns out Grandparents have very busy lives too - but when we have completed some more I will be sure to update you all with post number two (and maybe even number three)!! Have you ever done any upholstery?

 
ZoFlo

Saturday 4 October 2014

UpCycling // Chest of Drawers

A little while ago I did a post about some bedside cabinets (click here to read it just incase you missed it). It was my first upcycling project and I absolutely loved it! So when Nick & I decided we needed to get some furniture for the spare bedroom, I was more than happy to take on another upcycling project. I went on our local buying/selling Facebook page to find out if any one was selling a chest of drawers. I managed to find one that was perfect and paid only £20 for it!


After lots of sanding and 2 days of painting, I have finally completed it and I am really pleased with how it has turned out. Originally I wanted to do it exactly the same as the bedside cabinets, but decided it would be good to give something else a go. I have also thought about getting some different handles although I like the natural wood against the paint (Farrow & Ball New White)  - what do you think?


  Everything I used for this project (Paint, Sandpaper, Paint Brushes etc) we already had - perks of having a builder boyfriend - so this only cost me £20. Upcycling old, unwanted furniture is so cheap and a great way to personalise your home, as well as getting exactly what you want! Have you done any upcycling recently?

 
ZoFlo

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Crafty Haul #2

I may have accidentally taken a trip to Hobbycraft last week...& accidentally made a few cheeky purchases! *Oops!*


Ever since I reviewed the Sizzix Texture Boutique Beginner Dye-Cutting kit back in May, I have been addicted to card making! It's so much more personal and I enjoy creating something unique for each person, so I needed to get a few bits & bobs to keep my card making top notch. I have listed below my purchases:

1 - Cardstock Pastel Book £5 - I can't seem to find a link for this one on Hobbycraft! But I had a few sheets of this paper that came with my Sizzix set, however it was running low. I love it too much so had to get myself some more. I opted for Pastel colours, as I tend to use these colours more often.
2 - Dress It Up Red Hot Heart Buttons £2 - As I was planning on making an engagement card, I wanted to get something to fit with the theme & these heart shaped buttons were perfect!
3 - Hobbycraft A4 Sentiment Strip Sheets By Stephanie Weightman 2Pk Black £2 - Originally I was looking for rub on words as I am running low, but they didn't have what I was looking for. I wasn't so sure about these to begin with, however when I got them home & started working with them I thought they were great! Although I will keep my eyes peeled for rub on ones too!
4 - Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Dotty Stems £6 - I have brought cheaper embossing folders before, but it really doesn't pay off. You can hardly see the print, even after putting it through the Dye-Cutter a few times. I would definitely recommend spending a little more and this one from Cuttlebug is so cute!


  Here are a couple of cards I have made with my new purchases - what do you think? Have you had any crafty hauls recently?

 
ZoFlo

Monday 25 August 2014

Review: Lidl Rhinestone Applicator


Who else watched Dawn O'Porters' "This Old Thing" on Channel 4? Anyone else completely love it? Me too! More specifically, I loved the Rhinestone Applicator that was used to revamp vintage clothing. So you can imagine my excitement when the lovely Heidi Hi told me these were being sold in Lidl!! Occasionally, you can get the odd gem from Lidl, but I was surprised (and impressed) that they had this - I just HAD to get one!

The kit only cost me £6.99, which included the applicator, a stand, 8 attachments to suit various stone sizes and 2 packs of rhinestones (approx. 200 rhinestones).

 
With it being from Lidl, I was a little unsure of how this would perform (sorry Lidl) but I was so impressed! It is so easy to use and works perfectly. The instructions recommend leaving the applicator for 5 minutes to heat up, but it only took a matter of seconds. I tested it out on a scrap piece of material, and I think it looks great. There was no damage at all to the material - which surprised me as the applicator gets really hot - and the rhinestones stay on really well. I even tried to pull one of them off and it wouldn't budge! The only improvement I would recommend is the stand for the applicator. It's a flimsy design and a bit of a balancing act to get it to stay safely in place. But other than that, it's a great product and I can't wait to rhinestone EVERYTHING in my wardrobe
 

What do you think? Do you have a Rhinestone Applicator?

 
ZoFlo

Friday 22 August 2014

Something Old, Something New... #1



I saw this at Glastonbury & it really stuck with me. Where is everything going? Surely one day we will run out of space to keep throwing things away. This has helped me to decide I need to make more of an effort to throw less away & get more creative. Beginning with an old pair of pyjama bottoms! I really love the material of these (I'm a sucker for polka dots) so really didn't want to throw them away. As I'm sure you have noticed, there is a lot of bunting around these days, everyone seems to be making it and it is something I haven't tried yet. So I was keen to get my sewing kit out and give it a go for myself.


I began by making a triangle template which I pinned to my pyjama bottoms. I decided to do this on a fold, to make the bunting double sided - this also meant I would only have to sew down two sides. Once I had cut out all of my triangles, I sewn each edge on my sewing machine (if you had the time, you could do this by hand too). I made sure I didn't sew all the way up to the folded edge, as I wanted to allow a little space to thread the ribbon through the top. Once each triangle was sewing, I neatened the edges with my pinking shears to make sure they wouldn't fray. Finally, after threading the ribbon through the triangles, I put a small stitch on each one to keep it in place. So what do you think?


This was a fun, simple project and is definitely something I will do again in the future. I think it is a lovely idea for a present and would be a great party decoration too! Have you ever made bunting before?

 
ZoFlo


Sunday 10 August 2014

Sunday Baking // Raspberry & Chocolate Chip Traybake



Sorry I have been so absent recently - adusting to working life is hard & I have been so busy most weekends with various events & family days out! But this weekend I have had nothing to do & it has been amazing! Sometimes the best weekends are the ones where you can just do as you please. So on this rotten, wet & windy Sunday, I decided to bake!

What with the new series of the Great British Bake Off, I felt it was only right to join in and attempt a recipe I have been eyeing up for months! I found this one in a home magazine & seeing something that involved chocolate & raspberries, I was immediately excited!


I am usually rubbish at following recipes but all of the ingredients were really simple (nothing too exotic / pricey) and the recipe was easy too!

   


What do you think? Have you done any Sunday baking recently? I would love for you to share your recipes so I can try them out too.

 
ZoFlo

Thursday 10 July 2014

Handmade Nation Sweepstake

At the beginning of June, Handmade Nation tweeted about a Charity Sweepstake. I am really not a fan of football, however this was a Sweepstake with a twist. As well as having the opportunity to win prizes, this particular Sweepstake would also raise money for a very worthy charity - Henshaws. But how....? I can hear you asking! Well, once each participant was allocated a team, it was time to get creative and produce something to be donated into a Charity Auction....in the colours of your allocated team!

 The team I was allocated was Ivory Coast - not so great for winning prizes, however it was a great one when it came to the colours I had to use - green, orange & white. After plenty of brainstorming, experimenting and changing my mind a few times, I finally settled on producing a baby mobile with owls! As many of you may have already guessed, I love anything that involved owls.


I chose to make green & orange owls and hung them all from a white cloud. I uploaded a blog post previously about how to make your own owl, however I have never sewn one with closed eyes! This took quite abit of time and patience, but I am really pleased with the way they turned out.


What do you think? Overall, I am really pleased with it and hopefully it'll fetch a nice amount of money to go to Henshaws. It was so lovely seeing what all of the other participants had made as well -my favourite being the ladybird dress by Millie Beau Designs.

Did you enter the Handmade Nation Sweepstake too? Let me know if you did, I would love to see what you made for it.

 
ZoFlo




Thursday 3 July 2014

Glastonbury Festival - Its Not All About the Music


I have been a little absent for the past week or so but I feel my reason is valid - I was at Glastonbury Festival! I don't want my blog to turn back into a lifestyle blog, however I love Glastonbury so much it's difficult to resist sharing my experiences with you all (Sorry)!
 
This year I did so much exploring and have come to the conclusion that this really isn't a Festival that is all about the music. Granted, it is the primary focus (and my main reason for going) but when the line up was released most people were a little disappointed. Compared to previous years it was pretty poor (No offence Mr Eavis) but this just left more time to explore!! One of the first things me & Nick stumbled across was a giant Polaroid "photobooth" which you led on, to raise awareness of The White Ribbon Alliance. It was such good fun and our photo came out pretty well - although we weren't so adventurous with the fancy dress items. 


One of my favourite areas at Glastonbury this year was The Green Fields, in particular the Green Crafts Village. There was so much to look at - it was the most creative place (trying to keep with my blog theme)! There were chairs hanging from the trees, stalls selling handmade crafts & so many workshops. I was desperate to book myself in to a "make your own flower headband" workshop but felt it was probably something that was aimed at children! Damn it - they get all the fun. In The Green Fields and throughout other areas of Glastonbury were lots of random sculptures. My three favourites were a beautiful fairy, the hot air balloon seating area & a violin playing Fox (amazing, amazing, amazing)! 

 

 

And this little felt man was too cute to not include a photo of!


So I think the point of this post is to basically say Glastonbury Festival isn't just about the cider, mud & music! If you have never been and you aren't too sure if you would enjoy it, I promise you you will have the best time. It is like a whole other world, where there are no rules and everyone just loves one another. There are so many stages/performance areas that there will always be a handful of bands you will want to see. And when your favourite bands aren't playing, you can always go to the Theatre & Circus Field or The Green Fields for some alternative entertainment!

Here I Am!
 Have you ever been to Glastonbury Festival? Are there any other Festivals you would recommend that have plenty of alternative (creative & crafty) entertainment?

 
ZoFlo