Crafty Challenge 2013 - A Craft A Month........

This year I have decided to take a new approach with my blog, as well as feature projects I’m working on for Camilla-Erika and DIY house projects I have decided to challenge myself to master a different craft each month.

With the inspiration of the 365 project, or the craft equivalent of 365 crafts a day I decided to set myself a challenge. With my Masters in International Marketing Management completed and a new job started I am now ready to get back to my crafting roots, experiment and learn.

A Craft a Month........

Each month I will take on a new craft, or a craft in which I have dabbled but not yet mastered. Maybe mastered is not the correct term, I want to try new crafts that are not necessarily within my crafty comfort zone and challenge myself to try something new.

My aim each month will be to introduce myself to a craft, try out a few simple designs and then produce my own design by the end of the month, or if not complete at least be underway. As an element of surprise I will not be revealing what craft I will be working on in advance, you will have to read to see. Each week I aim to give you an update of how I am getting along, struggles and all!

So let’s begin......

January 2013 will see Camilla doing.............................CROSS STITCH

Ok, so cross stitch, may not be the coolest or hippest craft, you may not even like the look of it. I have to admit I have never been a massive fan of this craft but recently I’ve started to change my mind. I want to demonstrate like so many others that cross stitch doesn’t HAVE to be old fashioned or something you wouldn’t want. Cross stitch can be whatever you want it to be. With a bit of imagination and some inspiration from magazines and designers you too could ignite the old craft you left back in the classroom.

Cross Stitch Design by Lesley Teare

So what made me pick cross stitch? I was scouring the newsagents for a craft magazine to read and having already bought all my usual ones (I’m obsessed) I came across “CrossStitcher”. With the mood for trying something different I had a look and saw the design by Lesley Teare of a bird. Being a fan of pastel colours and the vintage look this design appealed to me, I parted with my money and that was that, cross stitch had officially re-entered my life.

Now of course if I am going to take up a new craft I don’t want to fork out loads of money just to decide it will live in the bin of unfinished projects. Initially, I was determined to jump straight in and complete the bird design, unable to get the fabric I required I started to look around my local craft shops. Cross stitching kits were on sale but I didn’t want to spend £20+ on something I may end up hating let alone have the patience to complete. Something then caught my eye, tiny little cross stitch kits were being sold for £2.50. What a great way for me to try it out without spending too much money. Even better everything you required was in the pack!

Mini Cross Stitch Kits 

I bought three, but the design I chose to do first was a little cupcake. Not too many colours and a nice and small simple design. It was a modern design, in fact most of the designs on sale had a modern look to it, dispelling the myth in my head that all cross stitch was old fashioned and drab (sorry cross stitch!).

Cupcake Design Half Completed

I haven’t totally completed it yet, as you can see I am still working on the outline. It is a great little kit though, perfect for beginners and small so you can finish it relatively quickly and get the “I’ve done it!” satisfaction quickly.

Almost Complete!

As I am impatient I wanted to progress onto something bigger rather than do another little kit. I remembered a book I got a while back that I’d look at and said “wow I love this stuff, I will have to do something in here one day....” of which one day became never and the book ended up on my shelf. The book is Cath Kidston “Stitch” and this time when I picked it up I got all excited again, scouring through the different stitching projects and deciding which cross stitch design to do first. When I bought the book a freebie was included to allow you to cross stitch a floral design on some pre-printed fabric which you then make into a bag. PERFECT! It was decided, this would be my next project.

Cath Kidston "Stitch" Book

Instead of cross stitching straight onto Aida this requires stitching straight onto fabric, just like you would do if you decided to stitch onto a piece of clothing. Soluble cross stitch material was supplied to use to ensure that your design is evenly stitched and straight.  Excited, I launched myself straight into it, tacked on the soluble material and began the design.

Tacking the Soluble Cross Stitch Canvas and Marking the Centre

If you aren’t familiar with cross stitch then it is important to take time at the beginning to find the centre of your design and tack thread to mark the outline. This will ensure that your design is straight and will really help you with counting out the stitches. Start from the centre and work outwards.

This is what I have done so far. 

Progress of Cath Kidston Design 

I'd forgotten how simple cross stitch was, and although you need to concentrate to count out your stitches it really is a relaxing craft you can do in front of the TV. 

Have I managed to convince you to give cross stitch another chance????

Feeling Nostalgic With Stamps

                                                       Well, hello there!

Time for a post don't you think?! Been thinking about a comeback for while but wanted to showcase something new instead of designs you had already seen before. So welcome back! Take a look around and have a seat, you may need to dust it off a bit, as you can see it's been a little while since I was here........

So stamps..................seriously Camilla you have been gone for ages and you are going to talk to us about stamps?!..................well, yea I am.....

Don't worry my thirst for crafting hasn't been quenched by philately (stamp collecting, don't you know!) but rather combined............not that I could actually even call myself a philatelist, just an admirer I suppose. However saying that my Grandfather used to collect stamps so maybe it's just in the blood and a glimpse of further things to come? 

Some of my many stamps

One day last year I was in an Oxfam book shop and just as I was buying my knitting books I noticed a little basket full of bags of stamps. How cute I thought, so I bought a couple and when I got home they got muddled up with all my other crafting supplies never to be seen again. That was until one day I decided to tidy up (good procrastination technique to avoid university work!) 

I stumbled across the stamps and decided I must use them, and as you should know by now one of my favourite mediums to use is resin, so why not combine the two? And that is exactly what I did. I have to admit it was more fiddly than I expected but I got there in the end. Of course as we already know my uni course kind of got in the way of my crafting and therefore the stamps once again got tossed to the back of a cupboard or box and forgotten about. 

Stamps!

My recent redundancy from my part time job partnered with no more classes at uni has resulted in me having a lot more time to do crafts............well actually no..........that is not really true. The big D (dissertation) is always nagging at me but let's just say I have more time than I used to. So commence the craft room tidy and the re discovery of the stamps, I swear its like Christmas every couple of months when I decide to tidy! But being a crafter and liking to collect things my thirst for stamps grew which caused me to go and get more, now I have a lot of stamps ranging from Hungary to India and the UK and from the 1940s to the present day. Enter Camilla geeky stamp collector....... I don't actually know anything about stamps but they are pretty colourful and like mini paintings which we all see everyday but pretty much ignore (mental note, start looking at letters for stamps). 

The stamps which I like the best however are ones with the postmarks on them. There is a sort of romantic notion when you see the date and location. What was posted? A love letter? A Christmas card? A letter from a long lost friend? I think stamps are nostalgic and romantic, they remind us of time pre internet and emails when people took the time (or not) to put pen to paper. The designs don't just echo this but also reflects the country throughout the ages through a variety of seasons and fads. 

Think I'll stop before my love goes too far, I think the Olympics and the sense of British pride has been oozed through all the media and leaked into my brain.

Anyway here showcases what happens when stamps meet the resin. These jewellery pieces are not only vintage inspired but have helped to catch that moment in time, just like a photograph. I even came across some stamp designed fabric which boosted me into creating fabric made jewellery and accessories.

When resin met stamps

Vintage stamp inspired necklaces

Now is an exciting time for Camilla-Erika, the craft hibernation is truly over and I'm bursting with new ideas to try out. I will be continuing to work with resin but will also be branching out into fabric made jewellery and hopefully branch even further out into homeware. My folksy shop is getting updated and will soon be crammed full of goodies. I know it's only August but come on its getting close to Christmas, maybe just start thinking about buying Christmas gifts and come to http://www.folksy.com/shops/CamillaErika to get them!

Stamps with resin and stamp fabric necklaces and brooch

Stamp Heart Bezel Rings

Vintage 1972 stamp necklace

Enjoy the new designs and let me know what you think!

Camilla

xxxx

P.S It's good to be back!!! :) :) :)

Hello, yes remember me???

Happy 2012 everybody..........yes I am aware it is February and even worse I am aware I haven't blogged since August last year!!!! A whole 6 months!!! I cannot believe it.

A lot has changed in the last 6 months, don't worry I haven't simply forgotten all my loyal followers.........if there were any to begin with! 5 months and 1 day ago I decided to quit my full time job and give up a salary to go back to university. Some may say brave? others stupid,  but 5 months on I have no regrets! 

This kind of leads me onto why I haven't be blogging and even sadder than that had no time to do any crafting. I hear some you gasp with disgust as you frantically knit/crochet/sew away on your latest creation. How can someone who said they love to craft so much not be creating anything?! Believe me this isn't really something I have enjoyed giving up...........hmmm giving up is not the right term more like I have "temporarily suspended my crafting". 

A postgraduate masters course has taken over my life so to speak. Instead of constantly thinking about new projects to work on my head is filled with terms like keywords, brand equity, cash inflows and consumer buying behaviour. I am doing a postgraduate course in International Marketing Management, combine this with a part time job and I am not left with much free time! Excuses I hear some of you say! Well no not really but I do have to admit my time management skills may not be up to scratch and to be honest after sitting in lectures, working in a shop and trying to read textbooks whilst not falling asleep (a skill I am not getting the hang of) all I seem to want to do is curl up on the sofa with my slanket and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Even my poor house is suffering the brunt of the lack of crafting. Jobs have been left half done, others wait patiently to be turned into a beautiful new piece of furniture or photo frame to be hung on the wall. Cans of paint stand still waiting to be used and mirrors gather dust whilst waiting to be hung on the wall. The dining room table is starting to resemble a librarians desk more than a crafters treasure trove and the mini photographic studio i set up last week is still up in the living room waiting for another session. 

However all is not lost as I am determined that whilst I am severely short on time I will slowly get myself back into it with my concentration focused on Camilla -Erika. Both my online shops are empty waiting for new listings and I have a heap of jewellery to photograph in preparation. Even some new stuff! Resin jewellery making is one thing I have managed to make a tiny bit of time for.  

Hopefully by writing this blog entry today it will give me the encouragement to get back out there, I don't want another 6 months to pass, I want to re-ignite my inner crafter once again.....that sounded cheesy!

I will leave you with some new photos I have taken of some of my resin ring creations, with lots more to follow in due course. Who knows I may ever have a project to show you next time............hmm shouldn't get too ahead of myself eh! lol

Camilla

xxx

Old Treasures, My New Loves

Hello!!!!!

A month has flown by and I haven't blogged............opps.........my apologies. It's not as if I don't have anything to blog about either I have plenty of house things to share with you.

Today however I am going to share with you my new treasures that I have been hunting.

When on a budget you can't just pop into town and hit the high street shops, you need to be a bit more creative! But when you do go to car boot sales and reclamation yards the excitement of "will I find a bargain or a fantastic piece of treasure" is as important as the price you get it for in the end! You certainly have to be in a certain type of mood to do this kind of shopping, it's almost more of a mission than a leisurely shop. Beady eyes at the ready and no nook or cranny left unturned!

First on my list was Steptoes Yard, which is by St Cyrus beach in Aberdeenshire. I've been here only 2 or 3 times before and each time I come away with something. This time I was feeling slightly more ambitious and spent a bit more than the tenner I spent last time. Whenever I go to places like these I always have it in my mind that I don't want to pay very much for an item, however its not always junk that you do find. At the end of the day if you think its worth the price quoted and love it then why not? Let me add in here that I am USELESS at haggling! I know you should always haggle but I think my haggling gene was left out of my body. I physically can't do it! I dunno what it is, embarrassment perhaps? They quote the price and I stand there like a nodding dog!

If you have never been to Steptoes Yard before it is massive and has so much stuff! When you first arrive you are greeted by loads of crockery and plates all lined up on tables and lots of beyond their best garden equipment looking for some love. The outside is big enough but add to that a massive outhouse full of paintings, furniture and other assorted items and then a smaller warehouse full of glass and you begin to understand just how much stuff they do have. I swear some stuff has probably sat there buried for about 10 years! Still the rummaging is all part of the fun.

Steptoes Yard



The "Glass House"

Need a mirror? A painting? Delve in!

So here is what I got!

Floral Framed Tapestry

Tapestry in detail

I loved the colours in this and more so the fact that it was a tapestry. This will look really pretty in my bedroom, which is not quite finished yet but pictures will be up here when it is!

A framed old fashioned floral illustration

I was pretty happy to come across this as I have been trying to get some of these sort of prints together myself.  Last month whilst in Inverness I visited an old second hand bookshop which was an Aladdins Cave full of old books. I spent ages rummaging around the gardening section looking for floral illustrations to frame. This was exactly the type of thing I was looking for!

A 1950s Mirror

This isn't the greatest of photographs but I love these mirrors. I have seen them around quite a bit and wanted one for a while, luckily David managed to find this one at Steptoes. The best thing is there is no rust on this one like so many of the other ones!

Hand painted Glasses

I couldn't resist these two lovely glasses. Ok so I'm guessing you got the fact I like florals then?

Next up was Thainstone Mart Car Boot Sales, held every Sunday out near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. You really never know what you are going to find here. You want some second hand toys? Clothes? Pillowcases or DVDs and books? Maybe you want an old Singer sewing machine? A radio? you will probably find it here. I never like to think I will go home empty handed when I go on "my hunt" and so far I haven't!

Here are this weeks treasures!

2 Large wooden photo frames, a glass container, 3 cool pastel stripey pillow cases and 12 old ladybird kids books!

And how much did I spend on my treasures? £5.60! I'm pretty happy with that!

The Ladybird books in particular were my diamond fine! At 20p each I even got a discount because I bought the glass container too! These were being sold for a whole lot more than that at an old second hand bookshop and Oxfam shop!

So I leave Thainstone Mart a happy chappy (or lassie) with enough money to treat myself to some Jam Slices. Delicious!!!!

Now how much do I have to spend there next week....................

The Stresses And Strains Of Being A Wedding Guest

The season is definitely upon us where the weather is (supposed) to be warmer and everyone is starting to get married. They say you hit an age when all your friends start to get married and that happened to me last summer.

Two of my very close friends got married last summer but this year I only have one wedding to go to and it is David's friend who is getting married. The wedding is fast approaching (its next week) and like a lot of other women sweeping the country the question on all our lips is "What the hell am I going to wear????!!!!" If you are a bridemaid its easy you don't have to worry about what to wear but being a wedding guest does bring some stress, or is that just me????

I am usually quite organised about this sort of thing and I started looking around the shops in preparation for the July sales. Yes a late July wedding is great for the guest as you can save a bit of money on the dress! So I though great! Monsoon here I come in July when your sales have begun and I will find something i like.

Seven dresses later.................nope I can't quite find something that 100% flatters me. The thing is I can be quite critical of myself and if I don't think I look good in something there is no way I am going to wear it regardless of what other opinions may be. I am going through a very critical phase which isn't helping the dress search!

So last night 5pm came I rushed out of work and headed into town, 13 dresses later I'm still not 100% sure!I've been to about 5 different shops and now I'm starting to run out of options and the stress levels are starting to rise a bit. There is also the thought that since all the sales are on everyone else will be hitting the shops and buying the same dresses. There may be a fleet of people in the same lilac monsoon dress I pondered over at one point!

So now what? I stop and start to think back to all the dresses I've tried on.

 Do i got for the £99 Pink Maxi Coast dress that I tried on in a rush after work on Tuesday? or the Classic style floral Laura Ashley dress that was £85 and a bit more "me".

The rational Camilla decided to make an appearance and think "Atleast with the Laura Ashley dress you will wear it more than once" so unconvinced and a little deflated we headed back to Laura Ashley to get the dress. I suppose I should now explain that I do like the dress but I don't LOVE the dress, I usually prefer to LOVE a dress before I buy it!

So I walk into Laura Ashley and head to the rail. Where is the dress????? Maybe it is still in the changing room???? Nope not in there either. So talk about bad luck! In the one hour I was gone someone else has bought it!!!! (Let's hope this person isn't going to the same wedding as me!) Now its 8pm and all the shops are closing...............

Weighing up the option I decide to head to the Laura Ashley website (thank you online shopping) and there it is sitting waiting for me to buy it. But could I stop myself from clicking on other dresses? ...............no............hello pretty summer dress. I didn't see you in the shop...........

So now I have 2 dresses on order, but I've missed next day delivery option so we still opted for next day delivery but it'll come Tuesday instead! Still with standard delivery it may not have even come in time! I fully intend to return one dress when they arrive!! So I guess I am sorted and can relax now???

Not quite.................. there is still a wealth of things to think about! Shoes, handbags, jewellery, make up, fascinator...............a bit tricky when I can't decide what colour to accessorise with. So now I've opened up another can of worms but this time I need to go shopping not quite knowing the exact colours............the joys of being a female!

Maybe I should have just worn the dress I wore to one of the weddings last year afterall????????? Hmmm...........................

New Stock and Teaching Classes!

This week's blog post is just going to be a short one. (Sometimes I think I rattle on too much)

I wanted to really showcase my new work on my online shops and spread the word of Camilla-Erika, plus I have some exciting news to share with you!

I am currently in the middle of photographing and uploading my new work onto my Folksy and Etsy sites. So far I have concentrated on Folksy, so if you would like to go and see any of my items click on this link!

http://www.folksy.com/shops/CamillaErika

Most of my new work has been made with Shrink Plastic and Resin however there are lots of other lovely bit and bobs in there too. Here are some of my new lines!

Seen something you like? Don't delay! Get onto http://www.folksy.com/shops/CamillaErika for a closer look.

The exciting news that I wanted to tell you was that I will be teaching some jewellery classes at I Heart Art, The Galleria Shopping Centre, Aberdeen next month!

Have you ever fancied making jewellery out of your grannies button collection? Or thought that you would love to embed a little charm or your favourite fabric swatch in resin? Or has the idea of drawing your own design on plastic and making it into a necklace grabbed your attention????

Well the good news is you can do any of it (or all of it) and I will be showing you how!

I will be running the following classes:

Resin Jewellery with Camilla-Erika

Wednesday 10th August 6pm-8pm

and

Wednesday 17th August 6-8pm

Price tbc

This is a 2 week course where you will learn how to make your own resin jewellery. You will be able to mix and cast the resin in moulds and embed any little trinket you like. Got a favourite button on charm? Love glitter? Or have a favourite fabric swatch? You can bring them along to be included. Week 2 will concentrate on finishing off your resin jewellery by transforming them into a ring or whatever else you fancy.

Button Jewellery with Camilla-Erika

Saturday 20th August 11am-1pm

Price £20

Come along and turn some of those buttons you have lying around the house into a beautiful piece of jewellery! If you have some favourite buttons bring them along, if you don't its ok I will be taking some along!

You will be shown how to make rings, earrings and other pieces.

Shrink Plastic Jewellery with Camilla-Erika
Thursday 25th August 6pm-8pm

Price tbc

This class will allow you to draw your own designs onto shrink plastic which you will heat up and magically transform into a pendant or earrings! Don't worry if drawing is not your thing we will give you some help and ideas!

For examples you can have a look above or on my folksy page to see what kind of wonders you can create!

If you are interested in booking onto any of the course please contact I Heart Art on 01224 905909

For more information check out the list of Classes and Workshops I Heart Art do.

http://www.i-heartart.co.uk/classes.htm

I look forward to seeing you in my classes! :)