My Felt Store

I have finally had a revamp of my felt store. It has been very neglected while I have been in a Craft 2.0 frenzy for the last couple of months.

I have added a few more patterns including my new Softie Doll 'Miss Riding Hood'

You can get your pattern here. I have also added a couple of pattern deals, choose any 2 or choose any 3 patterns and save!

For all those stitchers looking for retro patterns I have added.....

Retro Martini

Retro Lava Lamp

I have many more patterns that I am transferring from paper to software so I will be slowly (!) adding new patterns, hopefully every week.

I will also be adding more felt needlebooks, pincushions and brooches which were the biggest sellers at Craft 2.0.

P.S Craft 2.0 Giveaway

Because I spent so much time chatting I forgot to give out my flyer about my giveaway so of course not many have entered!!

So I am throwing it open to any reader....just leave a comment on my blog (anywhere) and either let me know what you liked about Craft 2.0 or if you weren't there just tell me what your favourite fairytale/storybook character is.

The prize up for grabs is.....

My new softie doll 'Miss Riding Hood' and a couple of other surprise goodies.

So enter now!  Pretty please......just so I feel like I have some friends.....

Home Sweet Home

It is nice to be home again in front of the fire relaxing after a busy weekend at Craft 2.0 and catching up with friends in Wellington.

My stall at Craft 2.0

Hello to all the lovely customers and fellow crafters I met at Craft 2.0 - I had such a wonderful time chatting with you all. What a crazy day! So many people made for a great atmosphere.

It was great to be back in Wellington. I lived there for nearly 8 years so it is a bit like going home. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed with the 120 kph winds Wellington put on for our flight back to Nelson - lets just say we were all glad to touch down safety!!

Craft 2.0 Giveaway

Only 2 sleeps to go until Craft 2.0!

I would love to say that I am totally organised and ready but I'm not and that is a whole other blog post.

In honour of Craft 2.0 turning five Cupcake Cutie is having a little giveaway...

and you can WIN.....

... a Miss Riding Hood softie doll.

A brand new Cupcake Cutie design - isn't she cute. There will also be a couple of other surprise goodies in the prize.

In order to win these goodies you will have to come and see me on Saturday at Craft 2.0 and I will tell you all about it.

But wait there is more....from Craft 2.0...

5 Bonus Birthday Treats
1. Check out Capital Day in The Dominion Post every day this week for giveaways you can win from the Craft2.0 Creatives

2. Enter our Mammoth Prize draw at the fair, entry is by donation and all the money goes to red cross in Christchurch

3. Crafting - Get hands on in our custom Craft space upstairs  - and it's free.

4. The Amazing Traveling Photo booth - there is nothing like recording your day out with a photo shoot in a photo booth, and it's just head upstairs

5. Spot prizes all day long for shoppers, which include fudge from Cafe Reka, Craft2.0 Badges and Gift Bags

Birthday Cupcake Recipe

We had a wee party on Sunday for Oliver's first birthday and these are the yummy cupcakes I made....

These are Kristy's Vanilla Cupcakes (my sister-in-law)

Recipe (makes about 30)...

200g unsalted butter (softened, not melted)
1 3/4 C castor sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
1 tbls vanilla extract (can use essence instead)

2 3/4 C plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 C milk (room temperature)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In seperate bowl beat butter for approx 3mins until light and fluffy.
Add sugar 1/3 at a time. beating for 2 mins after each addition.
Add eggs one at a time to the mixture, beating for a minute after each addition.
Beat in vanilla extract.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat until just mixed.
Add 1/2 milk, beat until just mixed.
Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat until just mixed.
Add last 1/2 milk, beat until just mixed.
Add last 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat until just mixed.
Spoon into patty cases, fill to 3/4 high.
Bake at 150 degrees fanbake (or 180 on bake) for 15-20 mins.

Icing:

100g unsalted butter (softened)
4 C icing sugar
1/8 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract.

Beat butter approx 3 mins until light and fluffy.
Add 1/2 icing sugar, all the milk and the vanilla extract and beat for 2 mins.
Add remainder of icing sugar and beat a further 2 mins.

I added a couple of drops of blue food colouring to make my icing blue.

Done!

Wait for the cupcakes to cool, then ice, than add sprinkles.

Yum!

Oliver loved his cupcakes! (shame about my bra strap showing - classy!)

Happy Birthday my little poppet!

My little poppet Oliver is one today....sigh...where did the time go.

Here is his on his birth day one year ago.....

And here he is a big boy of one...

What a difference a year makes...

I want another one!!!!!

My New Project + a waste canvas tutorial

My new cross stitch book Sweet Treats and the pretty embroidery floss I have bought for the first project have been sitting in my craft room for about 3 weeks now.

I promised myself I would not start stitching until I have finished all my crafty bits for Craft 2.0.

I here it calling out to me.....'Start me now!!!'

I am great at starting new projects but don't always finish them.

Anyway I am sticking to my promise and will start after Easter. I am going to stitch one of the lovely designs onto an interesting object and will be using waste canvas so thought I would make it into a tutorial too.

I love waste canvas, although it is very hard to find these days.

So stay tuned!

12 sleeps until Craft 2.0!

Not long now and I will be behind my stall at Craft 2.0 - very excited!!!
Have hundreds (!) of things left to do - not helped by printer issues which I could rant about for ever but  won't bore you with.

Every day this month the Craft 2.0 blog is profiling the April 2011 creators and today it is my turn.

I have been reading everyday to find out about all the crafters and have noted most people kept their blurbs short and sweet. Hmmmmm mine is quite lengthy.

Moral of the story is don't have two very generous glasses of red wine and fill out your profile form.

Hope you don't fall asleep half way through!

Stitch Guide - Blanket Stitch

Blanket Stitch:
Blanket stitch takes a little bit of practice but once you have mastered it you will become addicted (or at least I have!) Lovely as a decorative stitch as well as perfect for joining layers together.

To start:
Tie a knot in your thread.
Come up through your fabric at starting point 1 and insert needle down at point 2
coming up at point 3 and ensuring that your thread is under the needle when you
pull it tight. Continue from left to right in the same way, keeping the height and
the width of your stitches  the same all the way along.

The dashes in figure a}are just to show the imaginary parallel lines you will follow with your stitches.

Great for finishing off edges or joining layers together.

Stitch Guide - Whip Stitch

I plan on posting more craft tutorials soon involving felt and hand stitching so I thought a wee stitch guide might be useful for people new to hand sewing. I found it quite hard to explain some of the stitches - I was trying not to make it too complicated! Hopefully my drawings will help. I will create a Stitch Guide page which I will be slowly adding to. Today we are starting with......

Whip Stitch:

Whip stitch is a great easy stitch to learn and it is designed to look a little ‘rustic’ so don’t worry about all the stitches being the same length or being evenly spaced - this is part of its charm. If you find blanket stitch or running stitch a bit tricky just use whip stitch instead.

To start:
Tie a knot in your thread.
Come up at starting point 1 and down at point 2, up at point 3 down at point 4 and so on.If you are whip stitching on a circle just follow the curve and start to angle the stitches as you go around. Refer diagram at top right.

Hint: Always stitch up through a single layer and down
through a double layer - that way you avoid pulling
tufts of the underneath colour through.

Stay tuned for Blanket Stitch - one of my very favourites!

I wish I could knit

Too cute!

Just look at these gorgeous wee bum covers!

I wish I was clever enough with a pair of knitting needles. Unfortunately I have tension issues and I have given up trying.

But for you clever knitters this is a free pattern that I found on Lark Crafts so head on over there and get those needles clicking (or is it clacking?)