AdelynStone's Tutu(tutorial)

AdelynStone's Tutu(tutorial)

Been after something like this for the upcoming Emilie Autumn gig in April so go with my corset and top hat.  It looks amazing but it’s given me an awesome idea that involves a belt, hmm.  My mind is buzzing with ideas.  If my dress doesn’t sell and I am unable to afford a bustle from Chapeau Carmine then this will be perfect!  It seems like the simplest way to make something like this and I'm sure you wouldn’t have to put elastic in it if you maybe did a front facing closure.

AdelynStone's Mud Scrub

Mud Scrub

Can’t wait to try this!  C has fresh coffee every morning and I end up cleaning it when I get up.  Its nice to see something I can actually do with them rather then putting them in the bin and having to wash the filter (which is a messy job).  Can’t wait until tomorrow so I can actually try it.  I'll let you know how it goes.

How to crochet with pop tops

Pull Tab Crochet Flowers

Loving this idea!  Using something that would so often get discarded.  People don’t even thing about them though, it’s one of those inventions that is so useful but it just gets ignored.  I mean without a pull tab how would you open your can of *insert name of your choice pop*.  It’s about time that these little metal marvels got the recognition they deserve.  While on this link check out their tutorial on making pull tab necklaces.

Eva Eichhorn's Fab Seed Bombs!

Seed bombs!  What an amazing idea!!! Definitely something that I will be trying as a mother’s day present!  Considering making some for when I go around Manchester city centre and around my local park.  But the idea itself is a sustainable recycled marvel! Kudos to you Eva!

[Monsters!] Crotchet Bakemono = By Lan-Anh Bui & Josephine Wan

 

As a first review I would like to share with you a wonderful crotchet pattern book.  These two are renowned for many cute and cuddly paterns.  Each with their own personalities too!  This book has some of the cutest and oddest monsters I've seen by far.  I've done a few patterns already from this book and I find them easy to follow and particularly easy to change and individualise.  For example I used the Okaasan pattern (page 105) as a base for my latest steampunk themed creation.  The only thing bad, well not bad, more annoying is the fact the girls have developed a way of creating a ‘magic circle’ as a way of making a neat starting stitch.  Although this takes time to master anyway, the pictures showing you how to do this and other basics are drawn cartoon hands.  I found this very difficult to follow as their not amazingly drawn.  I was lucky as I have another one of their books (which I will more than likely review,its the frog book in the photo) which had actual easy to follow photos.  This book does have the interesting feature of teaching you how to follow spiral patterns, of which there are a few on the internet.  I do love this book, the simplicity of the patterns and the [monsters!] themselves.   It’s a great beginner’s book that teaches you the basics and gives you some great ideas.  All you need is the patience of a beginner and the creativity of a child.

Starting ups and hellos!!!

Hello there!  Bear with me as this is my first blog but through it I just want to share some of the creative things that I make, see and find, along with reviews and other bits.  So a little introduction is in order.  I go by many *many* names: Esther, Ed and Yuki, I’m 22 and I hale from Manchester, UK.  I’m happily married with one black kitten.  I’m a gluten free piscetarian (I'll eat the odd bit of fish but mainly molluscs but defiantly no land meat).   Since leaving my work over a year and a half ago as a coffee barista, I have been striving to find a cheaper and greener way of living yet I still want to enjoy life.  I’ve found lots of little changes can definitely make your life and the life of others better.   So far I’ve learnt to make do and mend, recycle and up-cycle, save and be environmental.  I’ve learnt many crafty techniques too like sewing, candle making, painting, dying and I think the main most addicting craft is crotchet.  Crotchet although daunting at first is great fun!  And you can crotchet just about anything.  Recently I took up crocheting the tape from old VHS to make purses and bags.  And I believe my craftiness (although some may call many of the things I do ‘girly’) has indeed rubbed off on to my husband too.  Although he is more... industrial I think is a good word.  He can transform many greasy metal objects into works of art.  These days were always bouncing ideas off each other.  We can’t help but look around Car boot sales and find fascinating things that can be changed into something wonderful cheaply.

So like I said bear with me while I get this working and soon I'll be sharing with you the marvels of what I make and find!

~ Yuki ~