Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Just a quick post to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Christmas!  Christmas in our house usually lasts a lot longer than the normal couple of days holiday.  We try and fit in as many things as possible into the time when my sisters are off work, whether that is going to see the 3rd Hobbit film several times, or having a "story day" when we all write our story, or making a start of some crafts for next year's County Show.  Ginny got a crochet set and instructions for Christmas and has since made a fabulous little car seat blanket for the crochet class next year!  She's only had it a couple of days!  How does she do it?  Sheer bloody-mindedness, I should think!

We did, in fact, have a white Christmas but not in the traditional way.  The ground was so icy, the footpaths, roads and grass were covered in a layer of white.  On Christmas Day when I was walking the dog in the evening, the pavement was glistening like stars.  It looked like someone had emptied several bottles of glitter onto the path!

I'm sat here wondering whether or not I will finally get my shop launched this coming year.  2015 is certainly full of possibilities.  What are your aims for the New Year?

Comment problems!

Mum has told me that she can't get her comments to appear.  I've checked and they're not waiting for approval either.

I don't know why this is but, if you need to contact me (I'm always ecstatic at any advice!) please feel free to email:

clemencycrow@gmail.com

:)

Craft Workshops

A recent idea I've had is to run a craft workshop here in Caithness.  It is only in the early stages of planning - I don't even know what date it will be - but I've been emailing round venues trying to get an idea of the price.

At the moment, I'm hoping it will be an evening in the last week of November in Wick.

I'm hoping to start a rag rug course.  It's been suggested that I do rag decorations or a Christmas wreath and I think this is an excellent idea as rag rugs takes at least a couple of days.  What do you think?

@ragqueen57 has sent me some pictures of some amazing decorations made from rags.  Check it out: http://twitpic.com/echtrk and http://twitpic.com/echtre !!  I just love making Christmassy things!

Another idea is a Christmas Craft Workshop (sequin baubles, advent calender etc)....any suggestions?

Flannel Bunny Tutorial

I've been meaning to try my hand at craft tutorials for a while now and thought this was a nice simple one to start with.  I was given a flannel bunny as a present a few years ago (quite a few years ago now!) and thought it was a great idea!  This bunny has a bar of soap inside it but, for Easter this year, I made a few of these for my family and put a chocolate egg with each one instead.

I chose to use a black flannel, but of course you can use any colour you like!  Brown, grey, white or black are good options.  Whenever we drive through Brora we always see little wild black bunnies which are adorable!  We affectionately call them the Brora Black Bunnies.

HOW TO  MAKE FLANNEL BUNNIES

You will need:

A flannel (I got loads when they were on sale in Tesco!)

A bar of soap - make sure you get nice soap.  Of course, you could make you own which I intend to eventually!

Ribbon - make sure the colour goes with the flannel.  To be on the safe side, cut about 1 foot of ribbon and trim accordingly

2 Elastic Bands

Thread - Make sure this will stand out from the flannel

A Needle

(Scissors are also a must for cutting the thread etc.)

Step 1
Gather your materials together.  I always find it easier if I make sure I have everything to hand before I start on a project.

Step 2
Fold two opposite corners of the flannel so the tips touch the middle (see picture)

Step 3
Fold in half, diagonally across.

Step 4
Place the soap in the middle of the flannel.

Step 5
Bring the ends together, over the soap, and fasten with one of the elastic bands.

Step 6
Fasten the other elastic band approximately 1 inch above the other.  This gives plenty of space for the head with long enough ears!

Step 7
Tie a nice neat bow around the 1st elastic band.  Trim the ends so that it is even.

Step 8
Sew the first eye on with a contrasting thread (I chose white).  Avoid red unless making demon rabbits!  ;)  Make the eyes by sewing a few small lines over each other - see picture!

Step 9
Sew the 2nd eye in the same way.

Step 10
Finally sew the nose on, similar to the eyes but more of a triangular shape.

And there you have 1 completed flannel bunny!

Happy crafting!!  They make great presents for family and friends and you can always adapt each one to make it a bit more personal (for example, sewing a name onto the ribbon).

I always welcome advice and feedback so please feel free to get in touch or leave a comment!

Crafter's block!!

Wow.  It's been ages since my last blog post!  I meant to write one about the county show but, as with many things recently, I wasn't able to 'get into it' and it never got further than the one paragraph.

The show was certainly a success.  Between us, we managed to get 12 rosettes which I think is quite impressive.  It was great to see the crafts from other people and see all the hard work and time that had been put into each individual exhibit.  I must say that I prefer the show when it is by the river in Wick (this year it was in Thurso).  It was also the first year we've had our dog, Orlando, so we had to rush back to see to him which meant that we didn't get the 'full experience' as in other years.  That being said, we have got the industrial section schedule for next year's show and we're already planning our exhibits.

As I am writing this, we are having dinner on our knees (something that is very rare for us) as we have commandeered the kitchen table.  Judith is painting terracotta plant pots ready for entering into Bower Show (yes, there is another show coming up!) and I was busy writing my story.

August was meant to be my month of crafting but I am finding that I can't settle to anything.  I'm pretty sure everyone else has this problem at some point and I am really happy for any advice concerning this!!  In fact, I am desperate for advice!

At the moment, there are three things that I can suggest to anyone else who might be experiencing a similar problem.

Firstly, take a look at other people's ideas, develop and change them in your head and give them a go.  In my case, they invariably come out very different from what was intended but this is a great way of finding new craft ideas.  Some of the crafts I've been most pleased with have been mistakes!

Secondly, I keep a scrapbook of things that might inspire me.  I got the idea off some of the craft books that I read cover to cover, though I now can't remember which ones!  My scrapbook is my inspiration haven.  Many of the designs and ideas I come up with stem from flicking through the pictures.  I keep postcards that I've bought or been sent, nicely designed invoices from craft suppliers, business cards...  I even flicked through a geology magazine that was free with a purchase I made a while ago and found some lovely pictures of semi precious stones, and one of the night sky which I find really inspiring!  You can put anything in the scrapbook - anything you think might inspire you!  I also have things on my wall which can be inspirational - postcards of where I've been, photos (of places and people!), my rosettes, even a decorated wooden spoon I painted for the county show!

Finally, if I know I really should be crafting, I sit myself down at my desk and make whatever comes into my head.  Admittedly, this does not always work for me and I'm very careful that crafting does not become a chore.

That's how I deal with the lack of inspiration - and it doesn't always work as I've found out recently!!  Any advice on the subject would be very gratefully received!  I suppose if authors get 'writer's block', then crafters call it 'crafter's block'?

Craft Supplies With A Difference!

We just can't help ourselves where crafts are concerned!  In fact, when we go to the shop, we often come back with a few craft supplies - even if it was just a trip to Tesco!  This has meant that we have collected a rather odd selection of item.

Of course, you need a certain amount of imagination for crafting and it's great fun to think up unusual items!  You might even think of a way to overcome that annoying craft problem you've been struggling with, using supplies you hadn't considered before!

On one trip to the shops we bought four wooden spoons, two very cheap wooden rolling pins and some clothes line.  The thinking behind this?  We could paint the spoons in exciting colours, we could use the rolling pins to put up our wallhangings, and we could use the clothes line to put round the edges of bags to keep them in shape.  It's worth a try at least!

On another Tesco trip, I bought a bundle of towels that were reduced.  My hope is to make little bags out of them for cosmetics or toiletries or something!  It is all very theoretical at the moment as they are still in towel-form on my bedroom floor!

It's also a great idea to recycle (or is upcycle the right term?) as this gives you an even better sense of achievement!  I have a chest full of old clothes and bed sheets and everything else that is remotely fabric-y!  I use these mostly for making rag rugs but you can also use them to make bags, bookmarks, scrunchies, notebook covers...you name it!  Just make sure there aren't any holes in the material before you start as there is nothing worse than making a stunning handbag only to find that the front is ruined with holes!!  And, of course, you must save the buttons off any old shirt that is too tattered to wear!  This is a great way to craft on a budget!

So my most unusual craft items would have to be the washing line, rolling pins, bunch of towels, any clothing (including some rather laddered tights!)  Oh, and a small dog bowl I use for melting soap or wax!

What are your most unusual craft supplies?

Tips for Crafty Time Management

Firstly, happy Valentine's Day! I shall be celebrating by walking the dog this evening, but I have loved seeing people's Valentine's day craft creations on Twitter! Unfortunately, I haven't been able do much crafting this last week.

Our little puppy – Orlando – is usually the reason I'm too busy. When a friend asked me this week if I had done any spinning I had to own up that, as I couldn't use my spinning wheel around Orlando, I hadn't managed to do any. This reminded me that I wanted to do a blog entry about overcoming the problem of time management! I acknowledge that I am useless at managing my time effectively myself, so Ginny has been good enough to share some of her advice:

Knitting is a time consuming hobby, or at least it is for me! I tend to take twice long over one stitch as most people and anywhere up to five minutes to complete a row of the baby's dress I'm in the middle of making. So it stands to reason that time management is crucial to my creativity. Here are some of my best hints:

Never begin a project without wanting to finish it. It's great to have plans but don't start with the actual making of it until you are ready.

Get your tools together before you start - you don't want to be halfway through and realize you have got to do more shopping.

Multi-task where possible. Since the arrival of our little puppy my feet have become amazingly dexterous so that I can be playing pull games with my feet and be knitting with my hands... I'm still trying to perfect the art of knitting with my toes - just kidding!

Steal moments. Time yourself to knit a row and if you have 5 minutes free and it takes three and half to knit a row, use this 5 minutes! Chipping away at knitting will finish your project surprisingly quickly.

Learn something new at the start of a day. Because knitting is, by its nature, a repetitive craft, if you have something new to learn o it in the morning. By the evening with a few stolen minutes you will have perfected it.

By far the most important tip is not to be discouraged. If you can't find time to craft right away try different time management patterns. Knit a row (or two or more) while the kettle boils or while the microwave is on. If things don't work - don't give up!

Well, here goes...!

Hello there!

I am new to this 'blogging' so I'm a little unsure what to write. It is my aim to post on here at least every Friday but to begin with, I suppose we should introduce ourselves.

Wriggle Wraggle is designed to be a fun craft blog, created to relate our journey of establishing our craft business, with craft tutorials dotted here and there and filled with amusing, occasionally embarrassing(!), anecdotes of our crafty endeavours.

We are three sisters – a music teacher, a youth worker and a gardener – and we all share a love of crafting, mostly inspired by our Mum who has encouraged us with everything creative.

As you see from the photo we never grew up! Meet Charles Edward the red panda puppet and Teddy Deer! We have, of course, made them an entire wardrobe of different clothes and, whenever we are crafting, these little bundles of fun are not too far away!

Between us, we love to knit, sew, paint, draw, take photographs, rag-rug, make jewellery and make cards. We are always on the lookout for new crafts to try and I am particularly looking forward to getting to grips with my new spinning wheel. No doubt there will be another blog entry about the ups and downs of this particular craft effort!! (Let's hope there are more ups than downs!)

This is a big learning curve for me, as I have never tried writing a blog before. My aim for the Wriggle Wraggle shop is to have it established for my 21^st birthday in July – not a conventional 21^st birthday celebration but then we never were conventional anyway!

So, here's to many hilarious and crazy craft projects – let's just have fun!!