It's Super...

I've been up to another crafty project in the last couple of weeks, and it isn't quilling.

My toddler needed a costume for some parties that we attended this weekend, so for the last few weeks I've been creating a second identity for him...

...The felt pieces were cut and then backed with iron on interface to firm them up a bit and prevent them from coming apart as I stitched. I hand sewed the whole lot, even the hem of the cape as sewing machines and I just don't get on.

One layer of felt was sewn to the next from the top down, and the shirt was bought and the symbol sewn over the top of the shirt's own little symbol. The socks were plain so I added a star to jazz them up a bit. I added some little Velcro squares to the back of the shirt and the top of the cape to keep it in place and avoid having the ribbon tug at his throat, which would surely have been guaranteed to bother him and have it end up thrown off within a matter of minutes.

He LOVES it. Especially the cape. he swooshes it around and loves to be picked up to 'fly' around, and on the swings he wants it out so it can flap in the breeze. He didn't try to take it off once, and it all survived the day very well.

Worth every minute of hand stitching.

I'll be back in a day or two with this week's quilling project, which is the beginning of Christmas fun!

xnata.




 

Week Forty-Eight: Poppies

In Australia today is Remembrance Day, 11/11, when we remember all those who have died in battle to protect others.

See you next week,

xnata
 

Week Forty-Seven: Bees

I'm back! My university studies have delayed my challenge by three whole weeks, but at least that means there are six more projects still left, and lots will be Christmassy as we head closer to December! I'm finished with uni for the year, yay! Now I can focus on quilling in my son's nap times instead of desperately cramming information into my tired head. It's going to be a lovely three months.

This week we've got some sweet little 'buzzies' as my toddler calls them...

Bees are lovely. So interesting and colourful.

Five quilled bees, and the rest are drawn on, and then the hive is made of quilling paper too. I put some shimmer and glitter on their little wings to make them extra special.

They make me happy, and they're in short supply these days! My husband and I want to have bees when we're old and our kiddies are all grown.

Next week we've got a flower that is very important this time of year...


So happy to be back!

xnata. 

Week Forty-Three: Kite

This week's project is simple and hopefully inspiring, while also being bright and cheery.

It's a nice little message that I hope inspires people to be courageous.

 

 

The clouds were created with loose swirls layered over the top of each other.

 

 

I went with bright and cheery colours for a simply designed kite with a nice long tail and a silver thread tethered somewhere far below.

 

 

 

Next week I've got something else that soars through the air...

 

 

xnata.

Week Forty-One: Peacock

I'm a week late again, and this time I'm not going to try and catch up. My university courses are demanding a lot of me right now, like too much, and if I try to catch up I will compromise the quality of what I am making, and that wasn't the point of this year long quilling challenge. I wanted to make good quality stuff that would improve my skills and give you all some pretty things to look at and for my buyers to take home, so the one per week thing is the only part I'm willing to modify. I won't be catching up, I'll just add an extra week to the end date each time this happens, which could happen a few more times as one of my teachers seems to think that I can simply quit sleeping if I'm having trouble keeping up.

Anyway, moving on to the project! I have made a peacock card before, a very long time ago and it was a very simplistic design, so with this one I went detailed and as real as my paper supply would allow, and I just love him. He's gorgeous, elegant and dignified.

Isn't he magnificent? I just love when an idea in my head actually comes out right on the page.

Here's a little look at him as he was being made, you'll see I started with the head and worked my way down.

There's a zoo not far from by house in which there used to be peacocks that would frequently escape, there was a number of times that I had to stop as I drove past to wait for ones like this to cross the road...I haven't seen any out in a couple of years, I assume they have worked out how to stop this for the safety of the birds,  wouldn't want one to get hurt!

The colours are so vivid, it's wonderful that nature creates these colours, and wonderful that my quilling paper managed to mimic them too!

He took a long time to make, time I didn't have, but he has been a wonderful creative outlet and I'm sure will catch people's eyes at the next market.


See you for week Forty-Two, whenever that turns out to be!

xnata.

Week Thirty-Eight: Ferris Wheel

Those of you from Brisbane will already know why I've chosen to create a Ferris Wheel this week, but for those reading from afar, this week will see the start of the Brisbane Exhibition, otherwise known as the Ekka.

 

The quote came first, and the ferris wheel popped into my head as I read it, and I just had to make it right away. It's actually been made for about a month, but I wanted to save it for the Ekka theme, but it's been hard keeping it a secret!

It won't fit behind glass unfortunately, but personally I think that would reduce the impact of the piece. I love this sooo much, both image and sentiment, I think I might keep the original, but I'm sure I'll make more to sell!

I used plain/metallic scrapbooking paper for the structure of the Ferris wheel and the carriages, then silver quilling paper for the actual wheel, and more quilling paper to edge the carriages and the love heart at the centre of the Wheel.

I wanted the quote to be small and in a simple sort of font, so as to not compete for the initial impact of the quilling.

I went for softer, pastel colours in a bit of a rainbow colour scheme, though I think one with shades of red and pink would also work.

Next week we're going to take a walk in the rain...

Have fun!

xnata.

Week Thirty-Five: Butterfly Nursery Mobile

This week I have attempted something a bit different, and I gave a clue a week or two ago on the Facebook page, and I must say I'm quite chuffed with the end product, it is gloriously sweet.

A Rainbow of pretty husked flutterbies for little babies to watch as they fall asleep!

 

 

The fantastic thing about these husked butterflies for this purpose is that they are so light and seem to catch the teeniest tiniest breeze, so it's basically constantly moving, which is perfect for the little bubby watching, it's quite mesmerising and so happy and bright.

 

 

I've used the classic husking technique as displayed in Week 7, in various sizes and all the basic colours of the rainbow.

The frame is made of the inside ring of embroidery hoops of two sizes, and I've painted them with a pearlescent white paint, then it's all put together with white embroidery thread, nice and thick to hold up the rings but one strand thick for the pretty butterflies. I've sealed the knots with fabric glue to avoid it unravelling, and I've sprayed the butterflies with 'preserve it' to avoid colour fading and make them a little tougher. And it's all held up by a simple silver ring.

I've seen ways to make the structure to attach it to a crib, but as it's so delicate I would suggest hanging it from a hook in the ceiling would be much better, and you can add string to the ring to have it lower down without it ending up within reach of your little munchkin/s as even a baby would crush these within seconds.

Here's a shot of what the little ones will see...

It was hard to pick a photo of this nursery mobile, as the breeze changed it so often that each picture was different in a lovely way. Getting this to hang evenly was the hardest part of this project I must say, it took a few tries and lots of wasted thread, but now I've got the hang of it I am sure I won't have so much trouble in the future.

So, that was lovely wasn't it? Makes you wish there were more real live butterflies around. We should do something about that. Having said that I found one in my kitchen last week, perhaps she saw these others and knew we were butterfly-friendly. Anyway, next week we're going to see something really purple!


xnata

Week Thirty: Dolly Decor

Are you ready for some tiny and adorable things?

These could be great as a gift to a little girl (or boy, some boys like it too) who likes to play house with Barbies or one of those Sylvanian families or something. Though you'd have to make sure to tell her (or him) to be gentle and never let them get wet. Or maybe someone would like these for their miniatures collection, and put it in a cabinet with all their other tiny pretties.



We've got two tea sets and some flowering pot plants! With my quilling tool in the background to give you an idea of their tininess. Adorable right?

The pink one is tea for two, with two little cupcakes on a plate.

 


The purple one is a big tea set for six little people to have tea together.

 

 





Then we've got a pot of sunflowers...

...a potted rose bush...

...and gerberas in a little purple pot.

All very sweet don't you think? The flowers would look nice in a doll house, or maybe outside in the doll's garden. I'm surprised with how well the gerberas look. The leaves in this shot are still drying, I coated them in glue to make sure they don't become misshapen. I actually had to look up what they look like, I couldn't remember the leaf shape!

Next week we get all lovey-dovey because my 5th wedding anniversary is coming up!

xnata