I made a Crafty Christmas.

In November I signed up for  Crafty Creatives boxes. The boxes arrive monthly and contain surprise themed crafting materials as well as a kit for making a complete article. My first box was vintage/Christmas inspired. I made these from it adding materials I already had.

We received a bundle of cinnamon sticks. I used some satin and gauze ribbon to tie them up for the tree.

We also got two plastic hoops. I wrapped one in white ribbon and glued gems around it to create sparkle.

This one is wrapped in red ribbon and has silver metal snowflakes from a broken earring suspended in the middle.

The wings on this angel card for a friend were made from icy sequins contained in my my second box themed on frost and snow.
Finally my craft work for Christmas included these items I made as gifts and for my online shop Teeny Tiny Textile Art

 These hearts were personalised by embroidering initials and adding bells (from November Crafty Creatives box) for those for my grandchildren.

 I had already regained my creative mojo but I'm looking forward to my future Crafty Creatives boxes.

From now on I am going to...

Return to my belly dancing class.

Spend time each week making my tiny pictures.

Walk on the weekends.

Read part of my book everyday.

Make mindfulness part of each day.

Thank those who help me.

Continue to help those who need it.

Take NO notice of the naysayers.

Dance as if no one is watching.

Sing as if no one is listening.

and

Live life as if each day was my last.

The story of a Teeny Tiny Textile Art picture.

I thought it might be fun to show you all a story in pictures showing how I go about making one of my pictures.
 First, here is my work space.

 Next, I choose a piece of felt for my background. Sometimes I know what I want, other times I just look until I get an idea. Today, I knew what I wanted.

 Then I get out the resources I think I might need.

Wool

Embroidery thread

Beads

 

 

 

 

 And the tools I use.

I decided to make a picture of a rock pool. So I began by making the rocks by needle felting two colours of rough carded wool.

The two colours of wool on my foam felting pad.

The needle is extremely sharp and barbed, as it is pushed in and pulled out the barbs catch in the fleece tangling the fibres.

The wool becoming matted by the movement of the needle

This is the 'wrong side' of the felted wool showing how the needle drags the fibres through.

Here I have added extra colour.

Now I have made my 'rock' I can start creating my picture.

Natural raw fleece is used for 'sand '.

The fleece is felted into the background.

The elements start being drawn together. The rocks are felted in place and I've used some brown fleece to represent seaweed.

Although I never try to make nature accurate pictures I sometime look in a book to check I have the right sort of colours. Here I checked in a Collins book of the Seashore.

With this guidance I added these to my picture.

Starfish and anemone.

Then I added some further embellishments. Can you spot them?

I added a tiny shell with a pearl. Several clear beads as air bubbles, a striped bead as a sea snail. There are highlights of green fleece and metallic thread too.
 I hope you have enjoyed this insight to my work.
This piece, and the others I have made can be seen and purchased at Teeny Tiny Textile Art