Melting plastic in the microwave oven.

I saw this online with the simple instructions to: put cheap plastic beads into a baking tray and cook at 200 C for 20 minutes. Well... 

We established that we should do this outside, so we didn't have to breathe too much plastic fumes. So I took the microwave combi oven outside.

Fed the extension lead out of the window. 

Put cheap beads in a baking tray. 

Cooked it for 20 minutes at 200. It didn't work exactly as I'd hoped. 

The beads melted, but not enough to flatten and run into each other as I thought they would. 

I put it back in the oven at 220 for 30 minutes and similar story, although it did melt a bit more and produced a flatter surface. 

Top

Bottom. 

On the top there are pointy bits and it's bumpy. On the bottom, the holes in the beads are still visible. 

I think maybe I need to get beads with smaller holes, cook it hotter and for longer. I'm not sure. 

We shall see. It was fun though. 

Crafty Creatives Craft Box! #CCBox11

So, you'll have seen the veg boxes you can subscribe to, here's a craft box! I'm super excited by this concept and it seems perfect for me who is a bit of a 'butterfly crafter'. I tend to get obsessed with new concepts and ideas and am often moving onto new crafts rather than concentrating or perfecting existing skills. So, the craft box might be a simple and controlled way for me to try out new crafts without a massive outlay every time I come across and/or get obsessed by something new. It also enables me to experience new skills and styles which I wouldn't necessarily attempt without encouragement. 

This is my first box: 

The packaging is cute and simple. 

The sealing sticker which says: Get Make Create. 

Pretty tissue paper inside the box

Each box includes an art print

Each box also contains a kit for a project which specific instructions. 

Underneath the art print and the kit! 

Small crystals mounted and ready to make into jewellery?

A pretty stamp

And an ink pad

The contents of the box

Some feather beaded trim, some black velvet fabric, a stamp, an art print, an ink pad, some pink swarovski crystals in black pouch and tissue paper, a red flat back rose, some gold beads or something (haven't had a chance to look at them properly, some silver beads, earring hooks and posts and some removable photo glue. + the kit! 

The kit, to make a: Vintage style bead embroidery hair clip. 

The kit includes, two hair clips, a brass stamping base, gold beads, black beads, pearl beads, black felt, embroidery needle and instructions. 

I'm excited to get started and already have a few ideas of what I'm going to do. I'm glad I subscribed to it and if you want to subscribe and get their next box you should go to: https://www.facebook.com/craftycreatives?fref=ts

or

http://www.craftycreatives.com/

I'll get making and I will be posting pictures of my makes soon! 

It's been a while

Aloha! 

It has been a little while since I posted here. So I thought I might just give a bit of an update. 

We had Hedna's, Laura wore the dress I made for her, I wore the dress I made for myself and they both stayed in one piece! 

Laura didn't wear the socks or leggings! 

But she did add the sash, which looks really nice and pulled her tiny waist in even more, accentuating her hourglass figure... not jealous at all... 

 

Paul wore his Navy uniform and we girlies had had our hair done by Sarah of Sarah's Doo Wop Dos at Rose Tinted Vintage earlier in the day. 

Laura and her boyfriend Traff. 

Me and Paul at the end of the night. 

Craft Stuff

I made a version of this in blue last year and someone saw it at a craft fair and wanted one with pink wire for her niece. 

Bex and my first collaborative crafting effort. Needlefelted sunflower brooch. We both designed it, I made the flower and Bex made the leaves. 

Below is a daisy I made on the same day. 

Pets

Daisy seems to get bigger every time I take pictures of her. Here she is doing some weeding. 

And here is Reebok and Daisy, neither of the cats have ever tried to hunt Daisy, I think they just see her as another cat, a very odd one, but not something to hurt. In fact, when she's in the garden they herd her back into her hutch if she strays too far. 

Colour Matching

Finally, I need to decide which colour matches these shoes best. First picture is with no flash, second with flash. 

It's Hedna's this weekend!

And we are all excited! 

I have finished making Laura's dress and I'm really pleased with it. She tried it on a couple of weeks ago and it fit then, so unless I've done something incredibly stupid, it will still fit her! 

Take a look at that seam! Beautiful, even if I do say so myself. The first dress I made for myself for Hedna's had quite messy seams but Emma (other half's sister) told me how to do nice neat seams and, I think they look much better. 

We are getting our hair done at Rose Tinted Vintage again, because it was so fabulous last time. Very excited! 

General Update

So... Some real proof of how my attitude to food has changed since I had hypnotherapy: I've just found a load of chocolates that I got for Christmas which I haven't eaten. Well done me.

I've been making bits and bobs.

And I managed to hack my hand apart last Friday. I slipped with a craft knife and caused myself enough damage to need to go to hospital and get three stitches. It's recovering well, I have a nurse appointment tomorrow to check the stitches and everything.

Here's some photos of bits and bobs:

 Toadstools mobile. Polymer clay toadstools, separate tops and stems with bells on the bottom.

The hyacinths I was given when I finished my last placement. 

Beaded wire heart

Key plaque

Jewellery stand. Resin base with sprayed silver tree branch

Hanging hearts. Dip it, Fantasy film is a type of air dry resin with which you can make lots of different things. I've made a few hearts and then threaded them together.

Reebok. Being cute.