New Year, New Challenges

It's the New Year so it's time for me to start new projects and courses after the Christmas crafting frenzy. Firstly I've joined Tag Tuesday, a weekly challenge group hosted by Carolyn Saxby.

This first weeks theme is Snow. I really struggled with this theme until I just went into the studio and started pulling out anything white from my stash and within 30 minutes I was off and creating this tag. I decided the image is a Snow Princess (image courtesy of Graphics Fairy) and I edged her with white muslin for texture and little crystals for a bit of sparkle and some white stickles on her frock. The glass drop has the word snow glued to it's underside, taken from a vintage dictionary. The tag was collaged with vintage book papers, then gessoed over, allowing some of the words to come through. I then ruffled a scrap of white cotton straight onto the tag, sewing it with my sewing machine, and then put a scrap of muslin over that to breakup to background further and provide another layer of interest.

I've learnt a new crochet pattern - the ripple. Well I had to do something whilst watching all that Christmas telly, lol. A big thanks to Lucy at Attic 24 for the very clear tutorial.

I was just becoming confident with the pattern and then I was going to swap to making up a throw with some mohairs and ribbon yarns that I've had for a couple of years (should have been a knitted lacy throw but I just kept going wrong so I pushed it to the back of cupboard) but I've kept going as I like the seventies feel to this now scarf!

I've also been busy signing up for three courses. Yes, that's right, three!

Two are with Cristina Zinnia Galliher on Roses on the Table (link on the side bar). They are 'Just get yourself free' where we are creating a 14 page accordian collaged book. These are my pages above and I'm doing an oriental/geisha theme.

The second one is a Vintage/Victorian Make Do Heart project, somewhere I can put some of my vintage brooches. I've watched the first video but not make a start on this project.

Then I've enrolled on an embroidery course at a local collage, starting in a couple of weeks. I thought it was about time I went out to a class for a change. I love online classes but I've missed not doing a night class. I can also use the collage's sewing machines to learn freestyle stitching (something my machine won't do) and see if I take to it without going to expense of buying a new machine.

So this year looks to be as busy, if not busier than the last but I'm enjoying it so far! Happy New Year folks, I'm looking forward to seeing what we all create this year x