Time

In terms of crafting and sewing I’ve realised that over the last couple of years the time I’ve given myself to practice and play at my craft and subsequently develop my skills and creativity has dwindled away to nothing.  Some of this is to do with having too many projects on the go, some of it to do with trying to market and promote my businesses as well as create.  Some of it is just not enough time.  There just isn’t enough of it, or it seems to slip away when you want it and drag when you don’t.

There’s some statistic somewhere or other for how many hours it takes to become an “expert” at something, I forget how many it is but its in the thousands, possibly tens of thousands of hours.  I think you can see the time people spend on their craft in the quality of it.  Artists and designers who spend time delving into their creativity and nurturing it create distinctive voices and visual identities, we know instantly when we see their work.  These artists inspire me, I want to be that thoroughly me creatively, I want my work to have a distinctive recognisable style.

Frustrations

Lack of crafting time hasn’t just affected my, for want of a better expression, professional creativity, it has affected my personal creativity and I’m sure my personal happiness.  I never seem to sew for my daughter any more or myself, projects get started and set aside, my house is a clutter of unfinished sewing and home-making projects.  A winter cape started in January, a patchwork quilt for my daughter’s birthday in August, a chair to re-upholster has sat coverless, spilling its stuffing guts over two years, and now, two houses.

I have a constant feeling of dissatisfaction at living with unfinished projects and a sense of missing out as I see my friends online creating and crafting.  I also miss the joy of making and of sharing the end results, in person and online.

Time to change

At the beginning of the year I started another, yes I know I’ve too many already, blog.  The aim was simple, a daily dose of creative inspiration.  Nothing grand, just an sketch or photo of an idea a day.  I lasted a week and then got knocked down by illness and the need to prioritise my energies.

But for that first week I posted a creative thought every day and at the end of the week I looked back and had a scrap-book of ideas, and, better still, I had done some sewing.

In the couple of weeks I’ve taken a break I realised that it works best when I took a half hour in the morning to spend on jotting notes and coming up with a post, the creative energy of which bouyed me up in the day, rather than feeling weighted down by leaving it till the end of the day.  Ive been storing up ideas too so I’m now, more than ready to give it and me that little slot of time and nurturing it requires do do join me in kick starting your creativity over at my i-365 blog with an idea (nearly) every day.

Stephanie is an artist and designer who creates intricate, vibrant artwork from her home studio in Pennsylvania. You can find tutorials, see new work, and get more advice from Stephanie on her blog at: http://stephaniecorfee.com/.  You can also find her on Facebook here, http://www.facebook.com/stephaniecorfeeartist, and on Twitter here:  https://twitter.com/#!/stephaniecorfee

Now I’m thinking about a statement piece of work to put above the fireplace and I’m rather taken with this of Stephanies that you can find in her Etsy shop.

So without further ado, I’ll hand over to Stephanie….

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With the New Year approaching, many of you may be ready to bring some new style into your home.

Giving your family room a total makeover or re-doing your bathroom can be a big commitment. You don’t have to start there. You don’t have to take on a job that big to make a difference. You can start small – as in your child’s room!

Here’s how to start your makeover:

Find Your Centerpiece – I always like to choose one truly spectacular centerpiece for a space. That could be a great textile, a pillow, a family heirloom or toy. Its your “wow” moment. Every room can benefit from a “wow” moment and it has to be something you and your child LOVE.

Don’t be timid – You will never regret using something (or making something) that gives you a smile every time you see it. Not surprisingly for me, it is typically a big ol’ painting,

Use Your Centerpiece As Your Base – Then springboard every other choice off that main element. i tend to work from large to small. Get statement pieces first, then fill in with quirky items you just love for no reason, those will make the space unique.

Add A Personal Touch – Finish with a personal touch or two like a family photo, personalized pillow, etc.

It’s also important to remember that you can start slow. You don’t have to paint and buy all new things in one weekend. If you find your centerpiece – grab it. Then work the other items in slowly.

Or, if you’re not sure about things, take a photo of the items you like. You can print them out and put them all together on a poster board. Seeing them together might help you decide if that’s the look you really want.

Whatever you do – don’t feel overwhelmed! Let this be a fun project for you and your child to work on together!

If you have a creative or crafty business or blog and would like to be featured either by contributing a guest post  or an interview then please do use the form on the Contact Me page or tweet me to say “Hello”.

In the meantime I’ll wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Peaceful New Year.

I recently received two emails from customers, both letting me know about aspects of my products they found negative. One was delivered in a “you might want to know this happened” way that confirmed an aspect of my packaging I had worried about and prompted me to change it.

The other email was requesting a refund and so I was less disposed towards it from the start (will anyone admit to like giving back money?), however, it too gave me valuable feedback that I’ve acted upon to update my products.  The interesting thing to me was that though neither email was rude the request for a refund but me on the back foot, I felt defensive and protective of my products, my work, my ideas, yet I was able to see that the customer was making fair comment and if I didn’t act on it then I could be putting further sales at risk.

So a lesson, or three, learned and I’m updating and hopefully, thanks to my helpful customers, improving my products.

Are you always happy to hear customer feedback?

Or are you a customer that likes to give feedback, what do you think?

In the meantime I have to pack and the workroom is my packing nemesis, there is so much in it, books, buttons, fabrics and patterns, not to mention lots of products that I’ve not got around to listing on line.  So I’m having a de-stash sale.  Every day this week I’ll be adding  new products to the de-stash sale page.  All are limited editions or one off designs, all are the ususal great Summerland quality and price and all will be at the fixed £2.50 P&P rates.

And if you see something you can’t live without contact me and make me an offer!

So far in the de-stash shop ~

Vintage tea cup candle sets

Vintage tea-cup candle trios.

Pretty vintage tea-cups filled with a soy wax candle with matching saucer and teaplate – just £10 each.

No sew tutu kits

Knotted tutu skirt kits

These are a great crafty project, simply knot the pre-cut net ribbons over the waist ribbon to make your no-sew tutu ~ just £7.50

At the end of the day I was sat watching the lighting and stage crew dismantle the main stage, they were tearing down the banners and I thought those would make great, if unweildy, souvenirs.  So, before they could shred the whole lot I ran down and asked if I could have one of the banners.  They crew were a little surprised and when they asked me what I was going to do with it I immediately said;

“Make bags!”

So, here we are just over a week later and I’ve finished six, exclusive, Cybermummy banner tote bags.  Each one is unique, cut as it was from a different part of the banner and each has a zipped pen case included also made from the banner fabric.

The bags measure approximately 45 cm wide, by 40 cm tall with a 10 cm width at the base.  The banner fabric is waterproof so these would make great beach, swim or gym bags.  Or you could just save it to use as the ultimate swag bag for next year’s Cybermummy!

The bags cost £35 including postage and packing and will be dispatched first class the working day after payment is received.  A discount of £5 is available to all those who bought a Business Card Purse from me.

Be quick, there are only six and when they’re gone they’re gone.

To reserve your bag please tweet me, email me at ruth@summerlandcreative.com or contact me using the form here.

Since I last posted about the fabric business card purses that I’m making for Cybermummy I’ve had quite a bit more interest, so with just a week before the conference itself I sat down, did some sums, resisted the temptation of a spreadsheet, and worked out how many I could realistically make before I travel next Friday.

The answer is 30 add to that the five I’ve already made and there will be only 35 people with a handmade business card purse at Cybermummy, that’s less than 8% how exclusive is that?

If you want your name added to the Cybermummy business card purse hall of fame tweet me at @summerlandc

The purses cost just £5, deliverd on the day, you can paypal or pay on the day.

So here we are, an exclusive product created for Cybermummy attendees, the handmade business card purse.

They cost just £5 and I can deliver them to you on the day or you can add my standard £2.50 postage and I’ll post it out to you.

I’ve not had time to set up the business card purses in the shop yet, so until then have a look at the fabric choices on my twitpic stream and contact me on twitter or via the contact form page.

Today I’d like to introduce you to Maggy Woodley.

I came across Maggy’s craft blog, Red Ted Art, last year and was quite frankly smitten and a little bit in awe of this woman who seemed to be some kind of crafting superhero.  She has the skill and creative mind to turn anything into, well, anything else.

She not only has double sided sticky-tape super powers Maggy is also approachable, helpful and a lot of fun.

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A little bit about Maggy.

Maggy Woodley is a Mum of Two living in the UK.  She launched her craft blog Red Ted Art in order to share her craft ideas for both children and adults.   She inspires others to “have a go” and “have fun” with their children and to discover new crafts and ideas for themselves.  Her mantra being that crafting is something for all age groups and everyone can have a go.  Her weekly How To s are easy to follow and inspirational for both adults and teens, whilst her kids craft aim to please toddlers to 10 year old.

How did your blog come about?

I started my blog in order to provide an online presence for my children’s artwork business.   I wanted to drive traffic to the site in order to promote the art and thought that I had to offer something to make it interesting for people to come back to.  What actually happened was that I rediscovered my love and passion for crafts, both for my children and for myself.  Red Ted Art the craft blog was born.

Where do you find your inspiration?

With the children’s crafts it is usually very easy: we read a book and my son wants to make something from the book.  Sometimes I throw something into the recycling box and I go “hey, that looks like a penguin”.  Other times I focus on childhood crafts such as salt dough or pinwheels.  I also find a lot of inspiration from other craft blogs, there are some wonderfully creative people out there and it is fantastic to share and exchange ideas.

Who on the web inspires you & why?

There are so many wonderful blogs out there but in particular I love:

The Imagination Tree – Anna has wonderful ideas and photographs them really well, always bringing them back to learning and development too.  I also adore Sun Hats & Wellieboots – similar to Anna, Catherine is a bottom less pit of imagination! She always comes up with something quirky and new.  I also enjoy That Artist Woman – she brings art back into crafts and I look forward to doing things like her work with my children when they are old enough – exploring different techniques, learning about perspective etc.  For adult crafts, I can usually find inspiration on kootoyoo and C.R.A.F.T.

Not forgetting Lila A, Se7en, Creative Jewish Mom oh I could go on and on…

Twitter is also a great source of information and lets you throw ideas around and discuss.

What was your biggest craft fail?

I like to forget all my craft fails, but I guess I would have to say a jumper I knitted when I was a teenager.  My aunt had bought a pattern and some random wool to go with it.  I learnt that you have to use the right tension wool to go with the pattern or else the result is a little odd, basically my jumper ended up OVERSIZED.  It was HUGE and looked awful.  But I insisted on finishing AND wearing it.  Eek.  Now I ALWAYS check I have the right wool for a pattern especially for more complicated patterns or bigger items.

What has been your biggest craft success?

Oh a tricky one, I am quite proud of my no sew bunting because it is what set me off on the Red Ted Art tutorial journey.  At the time I was a stubborn non sewer and I really wanted to have some pretty bunting that looked sewn, but wasn’t.  I came up with the idea all by myself and was very proud of the results. I have since learnt to sew a little and will continue to build that skill.

What is your favourite post on your site?

Just one? JUST ONE?!! AAAAAHHHH.

Based on visitor numbers – the story cubes

But I am also rather partial to my Hobby Horse (from a sock)

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Craft wise, always prep.  If you lay everything out nicely, cut things, pin things in advance the craft is easier, especially with sewing.  Sometimes it is worth practicing something first for example a knitting a square.  The time taken upfront will be rewarded in a better craft later.

As to life: be yourself.

What advice would you give to someone starting out with a craft blog?

Start with crafts that you are good at, you will enjoy them and you will come across more naturally and create a readership that connects with you.  Experimenting is good, but I would keep the focus on your strengths.  I now use the blog to try out new things for myself so I am learning new crafts all the time and love it, but I always make sure, I have thoroughly tried things out and that I tell my readers where potential pitfalls are as  if they have a go, I really want them to succeed.  Keep things simple too.

I also think it is important to post regularly so people get to know you, I find something new once a month or once a week.

What do you find most challenging about running your blog & what strategies do you use to overcome this?

Making sure I do indeed have my weekly posts, especially the tutorials, so I am always on the look out for guest posters.  When reading other blogs, if I see something I like, I usually approach the person and ask if they like to guest post for me.  I almost always have a back up post too just in case I don’t have something one week.

What do you find most rewarding about running your blog?

I love all the feedback I get, especially on twitter, when people tell me they have tried my crafts or when they have found their craft mojo again thanks to me, that makes me go all goose pimply, it is wonderful! At the same time, I really enjoy all the crafts myself.  So it has become a real creative outlet for me

What next? What plans do you have for your blog?

No idea!  I want to keep on growing it and to get more freelance work.  I do need generate an income in the long term, especially if I want to stay a stay at home mum.

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A big thank you to Maggy, for not only a great response to my questions but for also, yet again, inspiring me with her answers.

Save The Children & “No Child Born to Die” Campaign

In January Save the Children launched it’s most ambitious campaign to date, No Child Born to Die. Every year 8 million children under five die from illnesses we know how to treat or prevent, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. Save The Children is focusing on the provision of vaccinations and healthcare workers. In June there is a meeting in London hosted by David Cameron and attended by other world leaders. Save The Children aims to make as much noise as possible to ensure the funding shortfall for vaccinations (4.7 billion) is met by all the donor countries. If this funding gap is met the vaccines that could then be provided would save the lives of millions of children. This week 3 bloggers/ vloggers are going to Malawi to follow the journey of a vaccine from the coldstore in the city right down to a rural community. They will write about their experiences, the children and families they meet and the challenges of “cold” vaccinations in hot countries.

The meme is to encourage awareness and to have some fun, please do stop by and sign the Save the Children petition here.   The idea is for your child to draw a self portrait.  I was tagged by Maggy at Red Ted Art and I did warn her that I am the meme slayer, whenever they reach me they all seem to die a death, but clearly liking a challenge or maybe taking pity on a hopeless case so she tagged me anyway. I was wondering what I could do with Isabelle to make her self portrait stand out as she seems to get a bit bored when doing crafts with me, but she’s happy enough doing drawing and colouring in for hours on end so I thought I’d just play to our different stengths; her pen-toddlership and my sewing abilities. Here is what I came up with.  Isabelle drew her picture and I scanned, printed and ironed it onto a plain fabric that I made into a cushion cover.  It will be on its way to her dad for Father’s day. There is a short how to after the pictures, but please excuse the lack of picture steps.  I’ll be adding the cushion cover how to in due course. So super simple how to turn your children’s drawing cushion cover.

1. Cajole or bribe child in any way you can to do a drawing, in this case it was Isabelle’s self portrait.  I guided her creativity by handing over the correct coloured pens for body parts, Isabelle is going through a gothic phase in her art and I didn’t think gloomy black blobs were quite the ticket here.  Depending on the age of your child they can either do the next stages themselves, help you or watch cbeebies.
2. Scan the picture in and make any adjustments you wish to do.  I cropped slightly from full A4 to slightly more squat rectangle, I also used an auto colour adjust to sharpen the colours.  You don’t need a fancy programme to do this as there are basic tools in Windows photo gallery using the “fix” function.
3. Following the instructions on your transfer paper print the image to transfer paper, I did a black and white test run first to make sure it was the size I wanted.  I used WHSmith own brand paper and found that I didn’t need to mirror the image, which was great, what I printed out was what I was going to get on the cushion.  There might be other brands that you would have to mirror/reverse the image to ensure that any writing came out the correct way round.
4. If you want to trim the paper image down to size, you can use pinking shears or fancy edged craft scissors to give a fancy border style.
5. Following the instructions for your transfer paper iron the picture onto the front panel of your cushion cover fabric, my instructions were pretty straightforward, peel off backing paper, position on fabric over a firm surface, I used a thick sheet of cardboard, lay grease proof paper over the top and iron.  Unfortunately I had thought I had turned off the steam function but I hadn’t, not the end of the world I turned it off and pressed dry.  It did make peeling the backing off a little more difficult and some of it stayed on but these can be picked off, it’s a bit of a faff but not the end of the world, I imagine any residue will come away in the wash.
6. You could now sew up your cushion cover.  I chose to embellish with complementing ribbon, partly because it looks nice and partly to disguise the mistakes from leaving the steam on.
7. Your child could also embellish with fabric pens, fabric glitter, buttons, sequins, whatever you wanted really.
8. Once satisfied with your front, sew up your cushion cover and pop a pad in.
9. I chose to use contrasting green buttons down the side as a closure but you could use any closure you like or even just sew directly around the pad.

Don’t forget to head over to Red Ted Art to see the other self portraits.