Felt ensemble ...

Some felt bits put together over the weekend.

Grappling miniatures ...a creator's angst!

I've been asked to make a few felt pieces in 6cmx6cm dimension but as much as I try to make 'em small, with my present set of tools ... ok, one tool ... I rely on my trusty new sharp scissors to cut out the shapes from the felt pieces. I realised, to cut 'em small is alot harder than to cut 'em big. Like wise, to draw 'em small is alot harder than to draw em big ...

I think I need laser scissors for such intricate specifications if there's such a thing ... and since am on the roll, a template of equally intricate designs and probably a host of other tools and equipment to go with the laser scissors and template! Even a special table or a mat so I won't cut through the floor, the table top ... or what-not am cutting on ... :P

Those triangular textile chalks that we get here, used to draw out patterns aren't much help either. The grip's terrible (its non existent really) ... which leads to clumsy, broad, messy lines. Its either a mess of a pattern or frustrating scratches of odd lines. I daresay, its NOT an effective drawing tool - esp. on felt!

Why can't they make 'em in pencil form where there's better grip and blunt tips can be sharpen ?! Then again, for all I know ... those textile pattern chalks in pencil form do exist ... just, its not sold in Kuching. :p

So what's my alternative? Felt tip pens (no puns intended) -used for writing or architectural designs. Make a mistake and one's felt pieces (not pen) are permanently marred!

I'm soooo sorry K ... this piece has ended up six centimenters high and FIFTEEN centimenters LONG!

Talk about being WAY off the mark ...!

A card in between ...

Ordered some paper flowers from Scrap-N-Crop's sale last week. They arrived a couple days ago. Found myself happily experimenting on a Christmas card design (Christmas after all is a couple months off ...). This is a 'prototype' mixed media design. From paper flowers, buttons, corrugated paper, to acrylic flowers, butterflies, ribbons and sheer frills.

Realised one can't possibly leave the Christmas card making till the last minute ... if i wanted individualised personal designs. Knowing how I work ... when given a limited time frame, all creativity and innovation goes out the window .... one goes with what works. Functional. Almost always that means less frills (and thrills?).

I've made TWENTY cakes in one weekend (yes all on my own!) ... From that experience, sometimes when push comes to shove, a passionate hobby can turn into a laborious task! Enough to put you 'off' for a while ... I know ... after that twenty cake episode, I didn't even want to see, touch or smell chocolate/cheese/fruit cakes for a little while ... :P

Having said that, am still happily baking - another hobby on the side of this absorbing fancy of papers and fabrics.

More Felt Creations

At the rate am going, I ought to rename this blog 'Bits of Felt' instead ...

Anyhow's these be the continuation of that 'Felt Connection' - a current fancy that's been occupying my 'creative hours' - usually hours that go into the small hours of the morning ... esp. when one's on the roll ... its like reading a good book; one so engaging that you simply cannot put down!

Its the same with these felt bits. The sewing's so absorbing you simply cannot put your needle down! I don't believe am saying this but I've since found sewing rather therapeutic. Now I understand why all those women (who's sewing is their passion) can spend hours embroidering elaborate tapestries to adorn the home or stitching together decorative patchwork pieces.

Also, what an interesting evolution of interests - from paper to fabric. Who would have ever thought the hobby that began with paper has now lead me to felt....?! What a lovely adventure ... with all those engaging little discoveries!

Felt accents

I've noted interestingly how when you're looking for inspiration, an idea to nudge you to the next step, or project, life has a way of revealing them to you - almost in the next sequence of events (talk about instant!). It could come in form of a book the sale's person recommended after noting how you pored over those pieces of felt (like it was the only thing that mattered in that entire shop full of sewing inspirations and tools!) . Or it could come in form of a friend's simple suggestion, along with pictures of what she was referring to.

And so, here's the next felt bits I've been creating. Felt accents - to embellish scrapbooking projects, journals, even clothing - I think ...? It begins first with a 'copy job' with a little tweaking here and there ...before venturing into one's own designs.

Now there's the other thing that's surprising as I delve into this felt fancy of mine ... the fact that I actually ENJOY sewing (?!) Who would have thought??!

For the longest time, I saw sewing as a mere necessary fun-less function - sewing a loose button was just about what I was capable off. And when it comes to sewing machine ... I wonder what the term is for someone who has a phobia of sewing machines ... because that depicts yours truly - quite aptly too.

Ask me to mend a hem and well, I'll whip up the cellotape! (The idea being why sew when you can stick??) Needless to say my hems were all temporary patchwork jobs that fell back to its wayward length the minute you wash the attire; until of course I make that trip down to the tailor who'd charge (thankfully not an arm or a leg in my part of the world) to hem.

But oh, the hassle involved. The traffic, the parking ... note also how any trip becomes a mini inconvenience when you don't enjoy what you do. Give me a reason to go to any scrapbook/sewing/bake shop and there's no hassle too great!

The wonder of it all....!

The story of the pink hearts

It all began with the idea of felt pink hearts to be used mainly as embellishments on cards.

But one thing lead to another ... and from one pink heart, the creation grew to four various pink hearts of various shade and sizes sewed together with blanket stitch to form a decorative item that can be hung on handbags or even a keyring.

The process began with the idea of sewing a couple of hearts together (the smallest pink and middle darker shade) for a change instead of taking the quick way of gluing the bits together.

Whilst I was sewing the two hearts together I thought then, why stop at two when the third heart could add more dimension to this hearty embellishment. And so the third heart of yet a different shade of pink was cut out to size and gradually stitched together.

Then the thought occured, why not turn it into a kind of keepsake bookmark or a decorative item ... something that can be taken out of card. For that to be, a ribbon simply has to be added. However, after sewing the ribbon to the back of the heart, I realised my sewing wasn't as neat as I hoped it would be and I needed a 'cover up heart'. And so, the fourth heart was added.

It was not until halfway of adhering the fourth heart to the third that I decided to put in the polyster filling to give hearts that extra puffy 'dimension'. The metal ring was a practical afterthought. Just incase the one decides to use as keychain, to decorate handbag or to be hung on Christmas tree ...?

Felty odds and ends ...

With my current felty fancy, I've been experimenting with making my own felt flowers. Drawn and cut out with my own handy scissors. I fear they (the scissors) aren't as sharp as they should be hence the discrepancy in petal sizes. Also felt tends to slide about as one cuts - unlike paper - if you use something heavy enough (like metal ruler) to hold paper down. I have yet to cut out felt while pinning it down ... not sure how that works with my present set of tools (?)

The flower bits are stuck together with good ol' glue. It doesn't have that polished feel of felt flowers from those designer embellishments but i daresay it feels and looks somewhat rustic!

Pink Passion

These are the cards I've made over the last week or so. one is for a friend who just announced that she's going to be married in January next year.

The other a get well card for a dear family friend. All the pink hearts (its for 'Her') to remind her to 'Take Heart' and get well soon.


Materials used for both cards include:

a) A4 card stocks - 2

b) 12x12 Pink Scratch Cots by Carolees Creation (cut out to size)

c) Ribbons and ric-racs

d) Buttons

e) Fabric and Paper flowers

f) Felt hearts cut out from Felt.

Its October ...

..and no, i've not run out of creative juices - just yet!

Just not been taking pictures of the stuff i've been experimenting with. Mainly because i usually scrap into the small hours of the night and taking pictures in that kind of light with my digital compact just irks me. Pictures taken at that time of the day are either a)blurred b)weirdly hued c)disasterous altogether.

The solution of course is to wait for daylight to take them pictures. But come daytime, there's just so many other things to deal with first and taking pictures of one's handiwork isn't exactly top on the the 'To-do List' - until of course, the hurly burly of the day is done, the dust has settled and one finally has the hours to one self.

The only bits of paper that shapes quite quickly in a few hours are cards!