Making a mess of things...

You don't have to use ink pads to get inking. I've tried using some old block printing water colour inks to experiment with. I think the results aren't too bad. Now my next step is to get some more permanent inks for printing onto fabric.

Nesting dolls

Look what I found! Packed away in boxes in my room, were these little treasures that I had almost forgotten about. Ok, so they're not antiques... but they're pretty cute! Especially the Indian and Caucasian dolls. They were a range done by Oxfam a few years ago.

Visiting an old friend

It's great to catch up with good friends and I always seem to draw inspiration from an ex-colleague whom I'm known for around 5 to 6 years now. We spent the whole day together at her new home in Harlow.

Am I sitting on a small fortune?

They were a rare find but a few years back I bought these really wonderful religious picture books in a car boot sale near my parent's home. I was enticed by the naiveness of some of the titles, 'I'm Sorry', 'Thank You God' and 'Please'. And the imagery is gorgeous! They've been sitting in the drawer because I'm just waiting to find something to do with them.

Rubber stamp mad

Finally, I made it back. After a 12 hour flight, 2 aeroplane dinners and 4 movies, I am now safe and sound at my parent's home in Tylers Green, Buckinghamshire, UK.

I even brought back my rubber stamps in case I get some spare time to get crafting. Could be the start of something different...

Give your old greetings cards a facelift

This is so simple but it's also a really useful way of utilising your greetings cards or memorable cards that you have kept stashed away for sentimental value or simply because you really liked them.

1. Just cut up some spare paper and fold them in half so that they fit inside the greetings cards.

2. Make 3 holes in the middle of the card fold and the paper fold with a needle. And sew.

3. When you have sewn the card together, close the book and trim off any excess paper that sticks out from the edges of the cover.

Turning junk into funk

And so we have it. Mini masterpieces!

Well, there were a few mishaps along the way - especially in choosing the wrong type of glue. Hence, why I have been using this Japanese binding stitch technique which works wonders! It’s environmentally friendly because I use less glue. I am now getting quite good at it. At least I remember the order in which the stitches go off by heart now.

I've still got more to do but it takes time working out which fabrics and patterns go well together.