Barnabas the Imp a Halloween Swap

This is Barnabas, he went to live with Megan after we decided to do a little Halloween swap together. Megan wanted me to make her a little imp and so Barnabas was born... created... summoned from the depths of hell...or Derbyshire... take your pick.

I wanted the imp to be perfect... well perfectly imperfect because I think that is the charm of the little monsters I create... I love the primitive style but tweak it in my own way.. each little monster is different, with a story to tell and Barnabas is no different. He was sewn together and dipped in a sludge of coffee grounds, vanilla, and cinnamon to stain him nicely and leave the fain scent of autumn, hearth and home.

I included a bracelet of fire opal and onyx some vintage haberdashery and some Halloween themed pegs for clipping things together. if you hop over to Megan's blog you will see some better photos than what I caught before I had to scarper to the post office.

sewn button arms. I love this detail.

Did I mention that Barnabas has a tendency to steal buttons ? *sly grin* I think he will be happy in his new home with Megan and her family...as long as she bribes him that is.

he also likes zombies books... what imp wouldn't?

Vintage Spool Button Stamps

Vintage Spool Button Stamps

A few months ago Megan (Vintage Violet) of maximum RABBIT designs sent me a lovely parcel for my birthday, in the parcel was a little kit she had devised to make a button stamp. I kept the little kit in my desk waiting for the perfect project to use it on. Today I found that project in a plain little tea towel I bought from Ikea a few weeks back.

Vintage Violet make a button stamp kit

So after I finishes all my housework for the day I sat down to craft, putting together the stamps made from vintage spools and decorating them with some torn strips of vintage book pages. I love how the stamps turned out and they were really fun to stamp with. I have told Megan she needs to sell the kits in her etsy shop... you would buy them wouldn't you? So please put some button kits in your shop Megan!!!!

button tea towel

I stamped the tea towel with fabric inks, I only have red and espresso (OK its black but it sounds better as espresso doesn't it? I didn't name it that) coloured inks but I need to order more as I have a stack of tea towels to stamp through!

and a close up

p.s. don't forget to leave a comment on the doll giveaway post, I will draw a name on Friday!!!

needlebook for Vintage Violet

needle book for Vintage Violet

I made this little needle book yesterday while H watched X-Men Evolution. I was really inspired to get this done as Megan was mooning over the fabric on her blog the other day. I left a comment on her blog saying I make her something with the fabric in exchange for some of her hoard of vintage buttons. She agreed to the swap even after my dire warnings of my wonky sewing abilities.

The button is a vintage red button from a previous order from Megan's haberdashery shop (go on you know you want to visit), so knew the button would be perfect for the needle book. I love the wonky lines of the black thread on the needle book, I think it looks fab, and I really like creating needle books, its been fun and is a small item to craft that leaves me inspired and not frustrated. I have a few ideas for a few more when I receive the fabulous Alice Wonderful fabric tape I ordered from Lilla lotta, and the cute fabric I ordered from Matatabi.


I wish I had ordered more from each shop but I promised M I would be careful with my ordering and not spend more than what I sell in my etsy shop. So in that case I will be adding a few more items to my etsy shop very soon!

Vintage Violet's Buttons

vintage red buttons

Aren't these vintage red buttons beautiful? and the presentation too? I ordered them a few weeks ago from Megan of Vintage Violet's Buttons and Vintage Haberdashery, they arrived a few days later beautifully packaged and gorgeous. You can also visit her blog!

black and red vintage buttons

I have no idea what I will be doing with this amount of buttons, my attempts at sewing are still laughable but my embroidery has improved a little bit so I may embroider a few more button thieves and poison apple trees on some linen tea towels. Once I have sourced some natural linen tea towels that is, or find someone willing to make me some linen tea towels to embroider and add some lovely buttons too.

mother of pearl buttons and a pretty little note.