jobhunting = lack of inspiration

So I've moved to Kent, completely the otherside of the country miles and miles away from home and..... still no job, home to live in or income..... ahhhhhh!!!! okay so we've not even been in Kent for a week yet so I really shouldn't be expecting to have had any job offers (despite the amount of applications I have already completed). But anyway the stress of no job, home or income has completely blown away any creative inspiration. The inspiration bit of my brain is just full of cobwebs... not nice ones either their full of dust and feel like they've been there for years, decades, centuries even. I need help. NOW. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Textile Street Art

I've fallen in love.
I absolutely adore some of the textile street art that's going on at the moment.
This little movement of indie crafters is fab.
I like it so much I reallllllly want to learn to knit.
Although with my inability to concentrate long enough to learn how to, I'm tempted to have a go in a different way, maybe using sewn art work instead.
Here are some of my favourite images I've found and loved.



By Knit the City
I found it on google images and I just had to share this masterpiece. Check out the website (linked above) for more of their streetart.


BY Carol Hummel
Same again, check out more of Carol Hummels work, it's such so cute.

*high five*

Pop, Fizz, Whoo.

I've finally made more than just one of these ring pull, bottle cap brooches. I've made a range of colours and think they are pretty cool.

Many people have commented on the plain silver one I made, many hadn't realised till closer inspection of what it were made of which I thought was pretty neat.


They are now for sale on my artfire shop, please find them here.
Well anyway hope you like them.
*high five*

It's all just adequate

Some of my friends might remember just how much I used to love going to Adequate Seven gigs when they were around. I saw them a total of 24 times in about 2 and a half years in numerous places around the country. I always thought they were so much better live than recorded, they had so much energy and enthusiasm on stage which doesn't come across quite so well in recorded versions. As a result I'm really missing their shows infact live ska and punk in general.

I rarely go to gigs these days either because i'm working or it's bloody miles away and we have to travel for hours to get there and to get back. It's a shame as I really miss live music. I hope that when we move to Kent in septemeber Seb and I will start going to alot more gigs and start seeing other bands we enjoy more regularly. *fingers crossed*

Anyway that's all I've been thinking about.
*high five*

All in a frame

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm taking part in a craft swap.
Here's my favourite craft item for the swap, Definately going to have to make myself one. It's a photo frame note board.I used a second hand photo frame I found in a charity shop and used fabric, ribbon and glue.
I went with the colours of the British flag and painted the frame white.
Hope you like it.
*high five*

Slate Twist

I'm taking part in a craft swap on cutoutandkeep.net, the title is global village and the idea is you swap craft items and i few other bits that represent where your from.
I live in Wales, working at an eco-centre which is located in an old slate quarry.... so inspiration hit and i made this necklace using slate found on the site.
I wrapped wire around the piece of slate and used a used piece of leather for the necklace.
Hope you like.
*high five*

Button Cloud

If you've been reading any of my other posts, you may have realised by now I have a wee obsession with buttons, I love the little things.

Here is my latest button creation, I call it the 'Button Cloud Necklace' for obvious reasons.

Hope you like.
*high five*

Earth-tastic

I love this button necklace I made just the other day.
I used some neutral buttons and some copper wire to create a small button pendant and attached this beauty to some hemp cord.
Nice and earthy, don't you agree?
*high five*

Wish I could bottle the smell...

OMG I've just made an eggless chocolate and nut banana bread and wow the smell of it cooking is amazing. I just want to bottle it up.

Here's the recipe, try it yourself.

Recipe
150g caster sugar
50g butter/ vegetable spread (for vegan version)
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons water
5 mashed bananas
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 handfulls of chopped nuts

1 banana chopped for topping

preheat over 180 degrees c
1) Beat sugar and butter until smooth
2) Beat in bananas, water and applesauce
3) In a separate bowl sive the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder
4) Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture, mis till moist
5) Add the cocoa powder and nuts
6) Place the chopped banana in the bottom of the loaf tin
7) Pour in cake mixture
8) Bake for approximately 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean
9) Leave in the tin to cool for 10 mins then turn out onto a wire rack
10) ENJOY!



Hope you enjoy.


Can't wait to get stuck in now.
*high five*

Organisation...

Well I've finally finished my degree and I'm just waiting to get the results and graduate this July. I'm really excited but a tad scared about the future.
Anyway it's time I start crafting again, the only problem is I've been accumulating bits for crafting over the past few months and now I've a great deal of 'stuff' which I need to organise before I can feel truely comfortable enough to get down to some hardcore crafting.
I've been sorting my buttons in to relatively colour coded jars, darks in one, bright colours in another, whites in another and pastels in another. It really was quite relaxing. But now it's time for sorting my craft shelves and corner. AHHHHHH! It's real madness, I definately require a seperate room for crafting.

This is what I'd really love my crafting area to look like:

Little Miss Crafty has made such a beautiful craft area, I'd really like to transplant it into my own home.

But nope, I'd need a another room to ever make my crafting area look anything like that. So far it's just a mess of boxes, jars, tins, materials, findings and such composed around the living room whilst I attempt to sort it all.

Ahhhhh! Help! Any pointers would be very grateful, tehe.

*high five*

Tree Hugger

I thought I'd make a gift for a friend. I didn't think the usual jewellery I make would be quite her thing, but then I had this idea. I think she'll love it, it's right up her tree, i mean street.


Hope you like it too.
I used copper wire for the pendant and hemp for the necklace, bit hippy.
*high five*

Honest, it's not procrastination.

Why is it that I have lots of inspiration and ideas for things to make, just at the point in time when I'm NOT ALLOWED to make anything or distract myself from revision.
I've my final year exams tuesday and wednesday next week and of course I'm busy reading hundreds of journal articles, writing lots of information down and learning lots of facts. However I keep having all these fantastic ideas for things to make and how I can improve my jewellery etc etc. and I'm not allowed to write them down, make them or continue thinking about them.
Booo. O well I can make away come a week today as all my uni work is complete, all I'll have to do then is wait for the results and hope I graduate with the 2:1 I'd really like. Yay.

*fingers crossed*

Inspiration: Crafty Chica

Right so, I found this site ages ago... it's called crafty chica.
She's this really awesome crafter from Arizona, that makes loads and I mean loads of Mexican themed items. Her range of crafts is HUGE! I recommend you check out her site here.

Just thought I'd share this inspiration.
*high five*

Buttons Galore

I love buttons, completely addicted to the little things.
I've now a number of jars full of pretty buttons, many I just can't bare to part with... but I'm going to.

Plus ll the buttons are all second hand, I just had to save the beauties.

Here's an example of my button galore necklaces.
Hope you like them.




(if you want one let me know or visit my artfire shop )

*high five*

The time has come...

The time has come for me to finally sell items online.
I have finally managed to set up an online store on ArtFire. yay.
You can view it and sign up yourself here.
If you sign up please say I referred you, it would really help me out.


Hopefully I'll start selling lots of creations on there so keep a watch out.
Awesome.
*high five*

Ring Pull Brooch

When I was younger, I used to drink way to much cider and as a result collected loads of ring pulls from cider cans. Last summer I found a whole bunch at home and came up with this brooch.

It is almost 100% recycled, the ring pulls, bottle cap, brooch back and string are all either rubbish or taken from old items I have. The only new thing used was the glue.

It was really simple to make and brings back many memories.

Hope you like.

*high five*

Tiger Tiger

So over the Summer 2008, I collected hundreds and hundres of bottle caps.

I've so many now I don't know what to do with the all.


Here's the very first bottle cap necklace I made.
It's made from completely recycled materials.

The bottle caps are obviously from Tiger Beer bottles, the silver hoops are part of an old belt chain and it was all held together using a keyring split ring and jump rings from old jewellery.



Hope you like it.

*high five*

Laddered Tights

I've always kept my laddered tights with the thought in mind 'i'll find a use for these'. That's just what I've done at last.

Necklaces made from tights.

I was given inspiration for these from another blog where the girl had used a bright yellow pair and made a long necklace, but obviously i had to add my own style to it.


Really simple to make.

• You need 2 pairs of tights, a chain and two hoops any size, depending how you want yours to look.


• Cut the legs of the tights in to strips.
• Tie one end to a hoop and gradually tie strips together till they are at the length you desire and tie to the other hoop.
• Add beads and button as where you like.

Hope it works out for you.

*high five*

Another Clothes Exchange

Yup, I am holding another of those events where women get together, strip off their clothes and swap.... haha. Not really.
I'm sure people these days understand the concept of clothes swaps, since the popularity of such giggle fests are becoming increasingly popular.

The last one I held was December 4th 2008, unfortunately the student union double booked and the clothes swap got changed to a date that I was unable to do. I did cancel the event however I had to deal with so many disappointed persons that luckily SALT (my workplace) came to the rescue and said we could use upstairs. Phew. So I had to redo the posters and get them out just 5 days before the event. Luckily however we managed to attract 30 odd people, raising a total of £68 for WasteWatch.

Hopefully with better preparation and advertising we may make a little more for WasteWatch this time around.

I'm looking to get either an acoustic artists/band to provide some entertianment and shall think up some activities to get people chatting. I'm hoping this time there might be some cat fights for entertainment purposes. tehe.

If you'd like more information on the event visit online blog at: http://aberclothesexchange.blogspot.com

or the facebook event : http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=45438792646&f=1&e=-12#/event.php?eid=49149322693&ref=mf


*high five*

Well this is it...

Yup, this is my first blog, welcome.
Not entirely sure what to start off with so let's start with a little about why I've finally set up a blog. Here goes...

I study geography and have a real passion for the sustainability of our planet. March 2008, I took some time out of uni for personal reasons until this Feb, it wasn't a good time for me, but I feel I've really found myself as a result. My passion for sustainability and reducing my environmental impact has grown immensely and working at the centre for alternative technology really helped. I've always been quite creative but summer 2008, I decided to start making jewellery and other bits and bobs out of recycled materials. Using everything, ranging from bottle caps to old vinyls, buttons to juice cartons and everything in between.
I've become such a horde, since I now envision everything in a different light and am constantly thinking what I can do with the things I have to recycle or throw away.

I absolutely love it.

So basically the aim of my blog is to encourage others to think creatively about everyday objects and to share some of my ideas and creations with others.

Thanks for reading my blog, I hope you come back and the future will provide us all with plenty of ideas.

*high five*