Space/Sci-Fi A Craft Challenge

a bit Marvin isn't he?

Space/Sci-Fi Crafting Challenge

Space the Final Frontier.. These are the voyage of a brave few crafters....
The theme for this crafting challenge is space and science fiction. It’s time to think about rocket ships, princess Leia jewellery, Dr. Who dolls, aliens, stars, astronauts, robots, alien landscapes and far distant planets. If you need help then drag out all the old cheap B-movie sci-fi flicks like Space Camp, or the more cherished Star Wars, Aliens, and Close Encounters (can you hear the music?) . Watch cheesy 80’s tv shows like Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Star Trek and Alf… well maybe not that last one but you get the drift.

The universe is yours to craft with.

So go get crafting and may the force be with you.

Challenges are not mandatory, they are just away to find a bit of inspiration and get your crafting mojo on. When you have finished you challenge craft blog it and link back to the challenge if you find it inspirational. If you have an idea and the time then do it today, or tomorrow, next week or next month, all challenges are open to interpretation and time scale. If you go on holiday and find that your crafting has gone kaput on your return perhaps a crafting challenge is in order to kick your brain into craft gear.

Watermelon Candy

pink candy jade and nephrite jade bracelet

As part of fufilling the Cupcakes, Candy and Ice Cream Challenge I wrote for the Mumsnet Crafters blog I thought I would use these delicious cotton candy coloured faceted pink "candy jade" beads, which I believe are a dyed type of quartz. My intention was a simple pink and silver bracelet, but apparently the beads had a mind of their own and paired up with some rogue nephrite green jade beads I had kicking around in my beading box. Once they got together I was powerless to separate them again.

strawberry quartz, peridot, and silver bracelet

Next I settled down to crafting a bracelet from a strand of delicate rutilated "golden stranded" quartz, the beads ignored my attempts at taming them and I found myself holding a string of strawberry quartz and half a dozen coin shaped peridot beads. So today's theme appears to be pink and green, I am wearing a green skirt after all, but paired with a black blouse so not everything is the colour of watermelon or watermelon candies I should say.

I may do some painting as well for the challenge, a nice little cupcake , or an ice cream melting in the summer sun. Everyone is welcome to join the challenge, there is no true due date, if you feel inspired by the thought of cupcakes and candy then please leave a comment here or on the mumsnet blog. You don't need to be a mumsnetter to join the challenge, you just have to feel inspired and being possed of a sweet tooth won't hurt.

Most of all have fun crafting. And remember a knit cupcake is far fewer calories than a real one. ......mmmmm...... cupcakes......

p.s. the light is terrible today, all grey and overcast so the pictures aren't so great.

An Apple a Day

Carnelian and white onyx bracelet with apple toggle

Yesterday I wrote a craft challenge on the Mumsnet Arts and Crafts blog and this morning I made this bracelet. My inspiration for the challenge is Emily at The Black Apple. Her artwork and dolls, are brilliant, but beyond that I think that she in herself is a brilliant person, her blog is witty, amusing, incredibly talented, and inspiring. Recently I bought my first Black Apple print, the fern print, technically it was a present for M's birthday but that's just an excuse because I really wanted one of Emily's beautiful prints.

I had ordered the silver plated apple toggle clasp from a shop on etsy and all I could think about was how cute it was, and that it made me think of the black apple (aside from it being silver that is) I considered pairing the clasp with some onyx beads but then I took inspiration from the little red and white toadstools in the print and dug out red carnelian and white onyx beads.

close up of the apple toggle

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nephrite jade and black agate bracelet

Sunday Morning crafting-

As I had another apple toggle clasp I decided to make a green jade bracelet, but as I didn't have quite as many jade beads left as I thought it is now jade and black agate. It looks really nice on my wrist and I'm very tempted to keep it for myself and dig out a green t-shirt that has gone AWOL in the closet, Aside from the green Halloween t-shirt that says "wicked" across the front in gothic script...hmmm nah I'm not that cool to get away with that. ;o)

remeber the give away closes on monday so if you haven't left a comment please do.

Recycle - Reuse - Re-craft a Challenge

Recycle - Reuse - Re-craft

This week’s challenge is to do some craft recycling! I started this challenge post on the mumsnet crafters site, but I thought it was such a good idea that I have added it here so that anyone can participate who wishes to in this recycling crafting challenge.

We all have excess bits of crafting materials at home, that seem to multiply so lets put those bits to good use. Repaint and old canvas, turn curtains into clothes, clothes into dolls.Alternatively have a rummage around your local thrift/charity shop and turn something unwanted and shabby into something crafty and chic. Pilfer the car boot box, Fight off the spiders lurking in the attic. Ask friends or family if they have any fabric, frames, junk jewellery, flower pots, floor tiles, anything you can get crafty with.

A Few Ideas:

Felt an old woollen jumper, or unpick it wash the yarn and knit something new.

Find an old wooden picture frame, sand it down and paint it and frame a painting, a drawing, scraps of fabric, old drawings in your sketch book that have been lurking under the bed collecting dust.

Recycle old beaded jewellery from something old and unworn into a newer more contemporary piece.

Recycle old jeans into toys, wallets, ornaments.

Recycle magazine or newspaper or old fabric into card craft.Paint old pine furniture, or boxes.

Anyone can join all I ask is that you take some before and after pictures of your recycled crafts and post them on your blog with a link back to me or mumsnet arts and crafts blog. You can use the recycle reuse recraft image if you choose to participate. And no cheating and buying new!

Most of all have fun and Recycle, Reuse and Re-craft.