HeartCrafts: July 2012

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Pure White clean...

1:12:00 pm

Pure White clean - Washed clean

Today is the last day of July 2012. Once again the rain came down and down and down….

One good thing about it is that it washed the world clean and crisp. Gone is the dust left behind by the wind and the heat. What can look purer as fresh clean ‘colour’ white. Our lovely white cliffs at Dover…white doves released at a wedding…

Like someone wrote on the internet - credit to (flarex23 )

''Its emptiness

Is filled with uniqueness''

Our lives are like that and sometimes we need to be cleaned to start afresh. Each person and item and word that is written down is unique. Crafting is the same. Many times we sit amongst the dust and the debris for too long and need to be washed and cleaned out for new ideas and sparkles to light us up.

Here is a picture of white blossoms seen from our garden. The seasons come and go but come April / May the white blossoms bring delight, inspiration and fresh approach to crafting ideas. A promise / hope of something new.

''white blossoms bring delight, inspiration and fresh approach''

and then white snowflakes come and the cycle starts all over …

Snowflakes so pure and unique

What is sweeter than a new born baby with a soft knitted hat all dressed in white?

Little White Flower says it all

Soft subtle colours peeping through the white

3 cheeky flowers on display

Like the Snowflakes that come down in Winter

Lovely hair band clips or just a small brooch on a bright blouse to say hello. I made many of these and they are all such a delight to make and decorate.

Pearly white flower brooch made with some parcel string

Blue Flower brooch to break the colour white to show it off

Yes, white is definitely a colour in my eyes. It can be set off against any background and stand out like something fresh and clean. Here is another white wonder - a friend's little white kitty held lovingly by my grand daughter. So fluffy and cuddly!

Happy crafting where you are and remember, do not forget the WHITES!

Luvvies

Monday 30 July 2012

They call me Yellow-Mellow..

3:11:00 pm

They call me Yellow-Mellow.

This used to be one of my favourite songs by Donovon when I was young many (many)moons ago.

Not to get too technical about the lyrics I will cling to what I remember and love about the song. Hey, I am the guy who can calm you down, hey I am the guy who is being cool and laid-back. In my case the gal.

I never went into the deep deep meaning as I enjoy life too much to get too involved in such matters and only enjoy things for the way I see it –simple and straight and happy.

Yellow is a calm friendly, warm colour and can be used for boys or girls which makes it very acceptable. Hmm that reminds me of the yellow sunflowers grown in our garden. They bloomed and were big and bright lovely Yellow and were enjoyed by all whilst they lasted. (We had a few purple ones as well, but the yellow stood out!)

Sunflowers grown in our garden -
a colour of inspiration!

Yellow creations always look fresh and soft and the need to be touched. All colours are enjoyable to work with. It is more difficult with yellow and soft colours as your hands need to be really crisp and clean. (I do not use light colours knitting whilst travelling).

Here are two of my favourite Yellow Mellow Colours.

Soft Yellow Wool -beanie for a little child

A Yellow brooch flower I made
(inspired by the sunflowers)

Have a Happy Yellow Mellow day today (not Blue as it is Monday!)

Luvvies.

Friday 27 July 2012

Silence...for the weekend?

3:36:00 pm

It is in the silence of the night and early hours of morning that my brain goes tik tok – so loud I can hear it above my thoughts. The sound goes on and on and round and round and create pictures and images to be stored for later usage.

The colours are so real and the images almost there to touch – Am I crazy woman? I reach for my little book and jot these pictures /ideas down for later usage when my body and soul and mind is drained from everyday toil and those thoughts will be no more.

Written down, they give me something to work with when natural inspiration wails or fails or I feel like the poet when he wrote:- ‘how my heart aches a drowsy numbness pain, my senses though of hemlock I had drunk or emptied some opiate in the veins’’ something like this.... that I can remember from long ago.

Side by side like little brothers and sisters
cuddling on a cold night when there is no heat around.

This is one of the ideas that was born one early morning when the moon was sinking and the sun was rising. All the little pieces of African Fabric brought together. Side by side like little brothers and sisters cuddling on a cold night when there is no heat around. This will be used on the side of a bag I am now busy sewing. Hopefully the person whoever gets it one day will look close and see what I saw when I made it.

When a person’s thoughts are not interrupted by everyday noise or the sounds of a background radio or television one’s senses come alive and creative.

I love photography and have taken photos dating back to 1968 when I received my first little Kodak camera one Christmas. Everyone had to pose (correctly) as there was only one chance for one shot a time and then the anticipation to hand the film in at the chemist and wait a whole week to see what came out and what did not.

Somehow art is like that – you make – you wait – result. I just love to share images and ideas of lovely things.

Mellow Yellow African mohair with detail - pottery button/ button /beads

Let me retreat into my world of silence and start getting creative for the week-end ahead. Happy creative thoughts to all in their daily life.

luvvies

Thursday 26 July 2012

Old Hat to me…

4:29:00 pm

'Old Hat' to me…or shall I say 'Old Beanie' to me?

Cat in the hat, Easter Hat and so it goes on and on and on.

Old Hat – Interesting where it comes from :-You would say "old hat" when referring to an activity that you know really well. The term comes from the fact that many occupations wear different hats (or used to). Contractors, nurses, policemen, firemen, etc.

If something is "old hat" to you, you know it really well

.(off the internet)

Which hat suits me personally? . Everyday it will be another one. (sometimes I feel I deserve the Dunce Hat when it comes to working on the computer, but that is another story for my tik tok brain) Cook’s chef hat. Gardener’s sun-flop hat, Posh wedding hat, Paris beret, Beach Hat, Safari Hat -

I will one day be remembered as the lady of many hats.

Each one will be ‘old hat’ to me as I have tried them all for so long –all on different occasions. Maybe that is where my love-affair (if you can call it that, in the craft world) with hats come from. Dare to be different-try it all-keep the best.

I have knitted many a beanie in my life time and here are some to share with you. The patterns are all in my head, as I create as I knit. I just love it if someone is happy to receive one of my creations. Knitting them is ‘Old hat’ to me! Or shall I say, 'Old Beanie' to me!

Here I go for GREAT BRITAIN COLOURS with pride - to celebrate the forthcoming sports that is starting tomorrow all over England with the little circles. I shout for Red, Blue and White! Go Britain! All the very Best. Also best to all the countries that are here to participate.

Blue is cool

Warm red to keep the cold at bay

Inside out pattern

Stretchy White Blue and Red

Blocks of cool Blue

White as Pure as Snow

A few beanies that I knitted for an orphanage in Turkey whilst my husband was working contract there a few years ago. Bright colours to bring some sunshine and happiness into their lives.

Choose which hat you want to wear in life and wear it with pride!

Happy knitting/crafting tonight.

Luvvies.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Sunshine Weather

6:49:00 am

Weather

Here in England we like to talk about the weather all the time. I am no exception, although I am a New British babe so to speak. After 10 years on this island I like to throw in a word about this natural phenomena as well.

Yesterday all was set out to go and sew out in the garden. I had visions of carefree hair blowing in the breeze and the sewing machine competing with the buzzing bees in the flowers. Boom bang crash to reality when a small water fountain was created under my old African Bush hat. By the time the umbrella was all set….the idea was abandoned and indoors we did go. Pointy Kitty did get a photo shoot outside though…

(Pointy Kitty made by me –Courtesy of Hillary Lang of Wonderfulls. (Free download) I made my own Pointy version and whenever I look at her, I feel happy. Thank you so much Hillary wherever you are in the world for putting a smile on my face everyday.

Pointy Kitty - my resident cat

Pointy Kitty - my groovy cat

Pointy Kitty - my smiling cat

Pointy Kitty - my little Fashion Diva

Morning was taken up with finishing off a 1001 things that have been glaring staring at me for the last week so I had to deal with them and can now proudly say they have been ‘ticked off my to do list’ so now my brain can carry on tik tok again with no fear of guilty ‘finish me off items glaring at me’.

Lovely bright and pretty colours await!

Happy crafting and lots of happiness to all out there and have a wonderful day!

Luvvies till next time

Monday 23 July 2012

Monday Blues!

5:12:00 pm

Monday Blues!

On Friday I ended…hope you will not have a blue Monday, but then I thought about it over the weekend and as Blue is one of my favourite colours (and there are many many favourites), I decided to share some of my Blue treasures with you on this lovely Bright Blue skies Monday.

Another picture that springs to mind is my hubbies clear blue eyes…I have so many favourite things in Blue that I cannot ‘not’ make this Monday a Happy Blue one!

Here is another hand stitched quilt my sister Clarissa Rudd from Jeffreysbay stitched for me. The colours are so cool and I really love it to bits and it is a craft close to my heart. (I sleep under it)

Blue double bed quilt - made by Clarissa Rudd

All hand stitched

Each piece of fabric tells a story

Fabrics from far and near, stitched with love

My favourite collection

Blue blue my world is blue!

Two of many ‘hoodies’ I knitted. Here my grandchild is sitting like Little Boy Blue. The wool was bought in Turkey . Should anyone want the pattern, feel free to ask and I will send it on. So easy to knit and quick. It came out of an old Woman’s Weekly magazine from many moons ago. I liked and tried it with great success and it is so easy peasy. It must be easy as I am no knitting wizard.

Little Boy Blue

Pastel blue and earth colours

Here are a few Blue flowers I am busy working on with beadwork/embroidery etc

3 pretty flowers on the quilt

The bead work takes me ages, but it is fun!

Then my favourites…blue tiles from Turkey. They inspire me everyday, just to look at them and I trust you feel the same. Beauty beyond compare with the simplicity and colour.

Have a lovely week ahead and enjoy the lovely Summer here in the UK and the cold somewhere else!

Happy Crafting to keep the Blues away!

Luvvies, till next time

Friday 20 July 2012

Something old....

2:57:00 pm

Something old...

Something new....

Something borrowed....

Something blue....

Folks, time to put on a happy face as weekend is here and it is (for most of us) a time to relax and enjoy our precious days to do whatever we choose to do.In my case, knitting and talking!

Hmm something old?

Something that jumps out at me is me old faithful Teddy. He has travelled the world with me and had been in my possession since 1955. Oops, I have given my birth year away now. Kindly I will not try and hide the fact that I am also thus classified in the category in my mind as ‘something old’.

The mind / tik tok brain does not feel old. Inside me there is a young vibrant full of life girl ready to take on the world. Then reality strikes and I struggle to get up from the chair where I have been sitting for too long. Never mind the old fingers that sometimes have to take a rest when they have been used to the limits – digging in soil – holding a knitting / crotchet needle for too long. Not forgetting the aching shoulders when slaving away over the sewing machine.

Amen! I think I will stop there before a new medical blog sees the light of my ailments on being old!

Vintage Teddy from (Whisper only) 1955

Old Teddy needs a make-over, but I love him so....as he is!

Something new

I must now learn how to twitter and tweet like a Robin, who has lots to twitter and tweet about. I must learn about Facebook - how to comment and share and Linked how to connect with the posh and emails …and the Internet -it all does my head in. Where are the old days when my computer did not even had a hard drive?

I was much less stressed, because I knew (not really-I make this part up as it makes it sound so dramatic ) that if I press the wrong button something would not be published all over the world in a matter of seconds....

Or new pair of bootees I finished last night that just needs little ribbons then to be used by a New baby.

New Pink bootees -

Something borrowed

Looking around our little house (and there is not much to look around at – 2 up and 2 down) I cannot think of anything that has been borrowed from someone. Too much Independence does not allow ‘borrowing’. Brought up on the faith of : if you do not have, you go without.

1001 ideas/ pictures in my tik tok brain can be classified as ‘borrowed’.My eyes that drink in every lovely creation I set eyes on and from that usually springs forth another idea or creation, so all in all- some ideas in my life has been borrowed from all over the world. Time is borrowed from the tik tok clock.

We are all on borrowed time

Something blue

It must be the clear blue skies left behind in our travels and none as lovely as the African blue skies. As a child, teddy and I were brought up by the lyrics ‘’ From the blue of our heaven.’’ The author of these lovely words must have had deep compassion to borrow blue from the sky.

Or the Izmir blue. I am totally fascinated by it and then there follows the vibrant Indian blues and not to forget our local UK potteries with lovely soft blue colours…One can go on and on about the beauty of blue.

Blue Turkish tiles from my selection

On this colourful blue-ish note I will end and do hope nobody will experience a Blue Monday next week! Till next time.

Luvvies.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Almost weekend…

3:53:00 pm

Lovely people out there!

There is an old Turkish proverb that goes like this

‘ Even a stopped clock is right twice a day’’.

That is how I felt today. Like a stopped clock. Not having had a good sleep last night my head stood still and my mind did not go tick tok as usual.

Referring to the proverb I knew that at least twice today something must go right. Time stood still as I rushed into the garden with zest early morning to cut back all the foliage and bushes that must have grown overnight. (and to beat another down pour) That was when things started to go wrong…I touched a big slimy slug and nearly passed out…I shivered and shook down my spine. How I so do not like to touch them. Needless to say, I am still here to tell the tale.

Something did go right though. I managed to purchase some lovely bits and bobs from the local charity shop, had lovely a chat with the ladies there (instead of chatting to my gnomes in the garden)

Half used balls of crotchet thread / zips...from the charity shop

Lovely piece of material from the charity shop to turn into a bag?

Another thing that did go right was the perfect cuppa (remember I am British and can make a mean cup of tea) before taking some photos of my finds and work in progress. What a joy to be able to make use of digital technology (I am still a babe learning how to enjoy the joy)

Flowers all done and dusted - now to be finished off.

Now to sew these up one by one whilst watching my TV programs as not to loose touch with the lives of the fictional characters. Oh how attach can we get to them once we are hooked…

Tomorrow is Friday and we are all looking forward to some relaxation.The school children to a long ‘Summer’ holiday.

A very Blessed Ramadan too, to all Muslim friends out there. May we all be Blessed with Peace and Love in our hearts for one another.

Happy crafting!

With courtesy - whoever wrote this.

Luvvies till next time

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Time...

4:28:00 pm

Time…

‘Where do you get the time to do all you do?’ I was asked last night. I have to answer quickly before my time runs out! (Just a smile) Each and every person on this lovely round ball called earth gets exactly the same amount of seconds/minutes/hours each day and night. There is no discrimination between gender / age /race. We all are handed the same amount each day. We all just have different concepts and ideas how to utilise it.

Without sounding like the agony aunt in the local Sunday / weekend paper, may I give some sound advise that works for me personally? Work according to a schedule. Work according to a plan. Put this all on paper (not in your head) and tick off as you go along. Work diligently and hard each given hour in which you decide to craft in and stick to it everyday. Soon you will have lots of handy work to show, all made in your own time and soon family and friends will ask ‘where do you get the time to do all you do?’

To put the mind a bit in reverse to a previous blog where I mentioned and showed some of my late mum’s crafts, I remembered this embroidery she made. So much detail and splendour it actually takes time to sit and look at each stitch, but it is worth the time as it has endless beauty.

Fairies so dainty and lovely!

Each little flower and blossom stitched with endless time and love...

The scaffolding is still surrounding our house, building work has not been completed – it will take time….due to all this rain we have had. I worked this morning (see about me) and cleaned a house in good time as I just went forward and forward and knew that soon it would be time to go – and have time for myself to catch my breath / relax and make ‘me time’ to recharge my old batteries, to craft some more!

Here is a little clown I knitted and managed to finish off in ‘no time’ and hopefully will put a smile on a child’s face when they have time to play ‘ hand-puppets’. My grand children use to love it when they were small and we always made time to have fun with them (the puppets) what lovely memories and fun filled times we had!