Festive feelings and missing my Jess.....

So Jess is in New York and ive not seen her since the Summer. I cant afford to fly out to see her and i miss her dreadfully. As we cant sit on her doorstep, with tea and cigarettes and exchange gossip, i thought id make her some sparkly decorations and send her a pre-christmas parcel of cheer. So whatever she gets up to, she knows im still here and very much insane with the craft bug but most of all miiiiiisssssssssssss her!

Last year i made my Mother some decorations for her birthday, here they are in the making...

I made them at the same time as the teddies and the doughnuts in December 2008 (see previous post) This is the first design made up:

They are slightly flatter than spheres as i stuffed them with toy stuffing to be light and tactile. I wanted to make some more, similar to these but using whatever i had in my flat.

Some old jumpers, curtain hoops, decorative braids, old buttons and silk tassels......

And these are the three sets i will send her.

Birdcages- insanity, 8

These will be Jazz's Christmas presents. Rather strange, or kitsch wall decorations that i made from the leftovers of some fabric that i made into a load of bags. Rosie has assured me that they are fun, though i was a little unsure at first. Jazz will have her very own play room in her new house, a little jealous, as its a dream that wont ever materialise for us. But that's fine, i'm just carrying on crafting while i pretend its all happening in my own life, that's almost real, well real enough for now. Anyway playrooms need to be full of bright colourful toys and objects and i cant resist experimenting. Hope Nissa is not anti 'birds in cages' as a theme. She likes the quirky things i'm sure. Fingers crossed.

Superhero cape- insanity, 7

A cape for Ayane who's alter ego is 'Ninja dog'. As i have no drawing skills whatsoever it had to be a simple logo. Was hoping Paul could to draw me an actual ninja dog but it was a tall order for a last minute request. Maybe this was best. Simple and not too fussy. She hasn't taken it off, i think it did the trick. Go Ninja Dog Go!

Jazz's bag- insanity, 6

Jazz's bag. A first birthday present for a little girl who likes to run off with her mummy's handbags.

I made it clear one side so it has this hide-and-seek quality to it. You can see the treasure inside, which is sometimes important as a girl needs to know what shes got inside there. Nyah filled it with treasure for her birthday. I have added a webbing strap so it is a proper bag and can be carried over the shoulder.

Golden acorn- insanity, 5

I cannot afford a real gold acorn charm for Rosie, so ive made a few pigment coated ones for now- er until im rich enough and can afford a real one. (dont wait around for it Rosie!)

Pandora's elephant- insanity, 4

When i was younger my sisters and i had one of those giant sit on toys, very popular in the 70's i think they were. We had a giant felt tortoise. I really wanted to bring the magic of these things back to life. So far only elephants have been made. This one is for my new God daughter, Pandora. Next i want to make a pony with a little leather saddle. Id make tons if i had room in my house but i barely have room for one in our little dolls house so i will probably have to stop after that - tragic. I need a mansion house to contain all my crafting. Not having a home is sad sometimes. That's why crafting has become my obsession. I can craft and dream and transport myself into a world away from my reality. Woe is me, ha ha.

recycling old furniture- insanity, 3

Revived an old sofa someone gave me. Went a bit wild on the stripes and patterned fabric. Its fun to look at, just not so comfy. Like to try my hand at proper upholstery next. Need to find an unwanted sofa next. Never be able to afford one unfortunatly.

thank you- insanity, 2

I made this as a thank you for the kind lady who gave me her old high chair and delivered it to my front door. For nothing!- thats kindness. Anyway, recycling is the vibe, crafting for cheap. Single mothers dont have money for materials, so they have to find them somewhere, somehow. Or not eat too much that week and save pennies for fabric instead. A combination of this and a scavenger mentality usually works.

No internet equals more crafting and a touch of insanity

Tapestry Butterfly-
the idea: attractive, bright colourful toys that you dont mind having in your house. individual, one of a kind and fun.
the reality: hours of labour, had to eat entire bag of kettle chips for the crinkly inner, baby more interested in actual packet of crisps- doh!