Crochet bracelet pattern, and stuff....

Me and my friend Linda are all geared to set up our little craft market at our church in April, so I've been a busy bee making as much as I can. I decided I needed some affordable little crafty things to sell and I came up with this bracelet.
If you can crochet, I'll give you the basic instructions here:

1, Using a ball of twine and a length of embroidery cotton, leave a tail (for tieing) then chain a length a bit shorter than your wrist.

2. Pull through the last loop and knot it (as pictured), then single crochet all the way back down the chain, leaving another tail, so both tails are at the same end. 

3.   Using embroidery cotton single crochet down one side leaving a length at the end longer than the tail.

4/  Do the same on the other side.

5.  Then plait the tail and two embroidery cottons together. 

6. Do the same for the other tail. Knot the ends. Knot the two tails together if you wish.

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Also using this free pattern to make some little aliens/monsters. (Faces will come last :)

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And me and Catherine were at the Auckland Folk Festival a week or so again. I paid $15 to get another hair wrap, except this time I was sneaky and watched her do it. So I did one on Catherine and it turned out pretty cool. I wont show you how to do it though, coz that would be stink!

So weve been up to the bach again for another couple of days with friends. Well be going up with different friends next week too. Funny way to do the holidays I know, but things just seem... different this year.

So this is me taking a picture of Catherine holding a crab and me standing at a distance paranoid that if I act scared shell throw it at me. The things that go through my mind some times... I don't know!

And this is the friends who came up with us. Catherine is showing Joe the crab she found. Isn't that great? That's how youre sposed to spend your childhood I reckon.

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And the little boy walking up with his Mum is Brycen. He is turning 2 on Sunday and this is what I made for him.

Little bean bags filled with rice and lavender. He LOVES trucks and cars... diggers etc...!

The illustrations are sewn on with a sewing machine.

I'm not his Aunty, but they are Loas and they call all adults Aunty, or Uncle out of respect...

yup, I kept this pair for myself. They look better on than in the close ups.

"Like"!

Made some more tatted earrings like I said I would. Some worked out better than others, and I think I'm gonna keep the top pair for myself. The rest will be gifts... may have to look into making some little boxes to sit them in...

Another couple of lovely days up at the bach these holidays. We have friends up there at the moment, and I we will be going back up with a few other friends in need of a break soon.

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And look what I found at the second hand shop for $3! My very own cabbage patch kid. I always wanted one of these, and then when I became a parent and saw the price tag I totally understood why I never got one! 80 bucks for a kids toy!? You have to be joking! Well, I have one now anyhow. Yep, mine all mine. Catherine can babysit it, but it's mine.

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And I decided to splash out and buy myself a smart phone. Who would have thought I would love it so much? I can't afford internet on it, but even texting is fun! And I made this little cover for it last night.

Tatted earrings

Happy New Years Day!

This christmas I decided to spoil myself and buy me some presents for under the christmas tree. Apart from an MP3 player and ITunes vouchers, one of the little gifts I bought myself was some supplies to make earrings.

Tada! Tatted earrings anyone? I know what I'll be making a huge stash of to give away as gifts this year!!

Happy birthday to me

Well, it's my birthday today, and I've politely told people who have text me wanting me to do stuff for them.. "sorry, not today, it's my birthday" :).

So Mum got me a 20kg pack of pottery clay, so I finally get to try out my wheel.

It was a lot of giggles at first I can tell you! I had it in mind that it would take about 3 months of practice to get "centering" correct, but of course I got excited straight away and wanted to try and make something.

Here's a wonky plate I just made. Pottery is hard. It was meant to be a bowl.

But it's my birthday and Im spending the day the way I want to, doing what I want. 

And why not?

More pouches

More pouches added to the shop.

I know it's important to have good photos if you want to sell anything on the net, and phew! I have a long way to go, but I've just purchased myself a tripod which should be arriving today to sit my little camera on.

And I made a sale today! yay!

Zipper pouches

As you can see I've been a busy little bee and made some pouches. (They are in the shop now)

I've made some larger ones too, but shucks! it takes almost as long to upload them as it did to make them!! Ok, maybe not, but Ill be uploading the rest soon I hope.

For a little sales pitch, these are great! I have a couple of these I use for things like earrings when I go away, and a little one for hair pins and hair ties... like so...

One Pottery Wheel, moved and in place. It took about half an hour to move it the 4 metres from the car to the garage and I have yet to replace the seat.

I think I'm pretty happy with it... can't really complain at $1.50 can you?

Oh my goodness me! Look at this manky old thing I just won on Trade Me literally a minute ago.

I don't know if I have buyers remorse or not!

I had an auto bid of $11.50... in the end I got it for $1.50!!

It looks massive... and heavy. And definitely needs a scrub and a coat of paint.

I wasn't sure all week if I'd done the right thing in bidding since I thought I'd have to keep it outside and cover it with plastic, untill I was gardening today and realised I have the perfect place for it... my old playhouse! Just need to clear out the old capok mattresses that are still in there and I'll have my own little space. Was even contemplating making a little sign... "Potters Corner" or something.

Tatting shuttles!

Made some tatting shuttles for my ETSY SHOP. Slightly bigger than they needed to be, but I enjoyed making them so I am going to make some smaller ones next time.

Puletasi

I made this last night. It's called a Puletasi... which just kinda means formal Island dress. It's for Catherine. We have been invited to a 40th birthday, the theme being Island. (Pacific Island that is.... Polynesia).

I used the same pattern I drafted for her Irish dancing costume (Ireland and Island hehe).

I have dyed it now and it's drying outside.

I will print some hibiscus flowers onto once it's dry... which should be any minute... the fabric paint takes next to no-time to dry!

bags

Well, I said the internet doesn't work for me... but I've gone and put these bags on Etsy anyhow. Well, I couldn't sew... I've run out of thread and have no money to but more. Maybe if I sell a bag, I can buy some more thread.

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On a sadder note. I see on facebook that the little boy who lost his life in the Boston bombings also had a sister who was an Irish dancer. Catherine has just started Irish dancing this year. The little girl lost her leg.

Well, finally finished that honours board today. Hope they like it.

Here's a sign I did for the local bakery. She's such a lovely person... and so generous I've actually been praying "Lord, give me a generous heart like the lady at the bakery!". (She gives me free food every time I turn up to collect payments!!)

And my screenprinting/tiedye nightclasses have been going fab. Here's some batik I tried. This sits over my chair now and I call it my "happy chair". I think it'll do wonders during the next few drab winter months.

Here's something else I did. Screen printed a tshirt for St Patricks day. Catherine has started Irish dancing, so we are walking in the parade this year. Although, turns out, shes allowed to wear her school tshirt, so I'm not sure what I ll get her to wear.

I was so proud of myself for figuring out how to do mitered corners. Well, I googled it, and realised ... I have one of those!! I think it belonged to my grandfather. A miter box that is.

Anyway, I meticulously cut each corner, only to have a massive gap in one corner. Where did I go wrong??

The only thing I could think to fix it was to staple it and bog the gap! EEK! Terrible workmanship. But it's all going to be painted black and hopefully nobody will ever know!!

Ill put up a pic when it's done.  

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I also sponsor a couple of kids in Uganda, but havn't written to them in a couple of months. Catherine made a finger puppet and I thought it was so cool I copied and made one each for my sponsored kids.

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I was also asked to paint up an old dolls house for the sunday school room. I rushed the painting a bit and its REALLY rough. I was just kicking myself when the stripes bled... but it's going to a church and I know they will just lavish praise on me, so it's all good.