Milk Bottle Makeover With Decals

Take an ordinary bottle and add a fun decal to totally transform and re-purpose it.

This is an easy up-cycle project if you have an ink-jet printer.

These images were sourced for free from The Graphics Fairy and there is an abundance to choose from and I give you fair warning, you could get lost down a rabbit hole and lose an hour of your day as you discover one vintage image after another.

The other thing you will need is some clear decal paper suitable for an ink-jet printer. I got mine from here.

Do a test of your chosen design on a sheet of ordinary paper first to make sure it's the size and style you want. Then simply lay the decal sheet in the printer and away you go.

To make the ink water resistant you will need to coat it and I used Krylon Acrylic Crystal Clear spray. Spray lightly, giving the decal at least four coats allowing it to dry between coats.

Once dry cut the design out close to the edge of the printing. Make sure your bottle surface is clean. Using a shallow dish, place your decal in water for about 30 seconds. You'll know it's ready because the backing will start to slip from the decal. Ease your design onto the bottle making sure it's straight and smooth.

Now you've turned an old bottle into a new vase, water bottle or milk jug!

Your items will not be dishwasher safe and require gentle hand washing and to get the longest life from your design, do not soak. 

Give it a try. They make great gifts too.

If you can't be bothered with the faffing about, these bottles will be 

available

 in the shop.

( Link at the top of the page too)

I've used genuine vintage 1 pint milk bottles and they make a lovely nostalgic addition.

If you have had a go at decal work, post your pics or links in the comments section.

Play Mat

This is a present I've just finished making for my nearly three year old grandson.

I bought this bag of animals from the op shop quite some time ago. I thought it would come in handy for cake decorating or some kind of Christmas crafting....

But now Ju is very interested in animals and this will be a fun (fully supervised) creative play set.

I saw this idea a few years ago and I've used it for inspiration.

I randomly sewed scraps hoping for an agricultural landscape and added some "water". I overlaid it on some thicker material and used some of the stitch functions on the machine to add water detail, plough marks and define some paddocks with "fencing".

We'll be able to talk about the animals 

Sing songs...

Talk about seasons

Act out stories.

Then when we've finished, it all packs back into a simple draw string bag.

Total cost of this project probably no more than $5 for the lot.

You could use this idea for a zoo play mat or a town and car play mat.

Lot's of possibilities.

The Doll Maker and Artist

A wee while ago I posted about my Matthew Simms doll 

here

He is a regular at Evandale Market on Sundays and I took another couple of photos of his work.

As well as his doll making with willow wood (all dressed by him too) he writes and illustrates books, paints small works and I see now he has added sewing shepherd smocks to his repertoire.

I also found this facebook page if you wanted to see more images

here

It hasn't been updated for some time but his work is fascinating.

Memories Of Blue

(Scroll to the bottom and hit the play button so you can listen while you read)

My father is visiting from interstate in a couple of weeks so he can visit with all the family here one last time and meet his great grandson, Julien.

Julien was also his father's name.

The blue china on the dresser is called "Envoy" by Royal Doulton and very popular after the second world war and often sold by door-to-door salesmen. This is the set that my grandmother used everyday and the one that my father grew up with. It holds memories for me and must do for him too I'm sure. I've also mixed it with some of the white Hutschenruther china that he gave me for a wedding present.

It's so good to be getting familiar things unpacked and the Matthew Simms doll has finally found her home. I bought her just before we moved thinking she would fit so well with our Georgian cottage. 

Matthew Simms is a local artist/eccentric and he paints and makes these extraordinary dolls by hand.

Here is an extract from his site

"With a hand saw I cut blocks of willow wood, split them and stack to season. 
Then I cut the dolls to shape with an axe, finishing off with a rasp and pocket knife.  
The legs and arms are put on, clothes made with a hand sewing machine.  The clothes, in almost every instance, are silk, linen, cotton or wool.  These dolls are not copies, nor are they unlike dolls from history."

Memories Of Blue by Vangelis

One More Stop - Yarn Tour 2015 Part III

After lunch and a bit more shopping Neil drove us to Camp Clayton by the sea where luck would have it, the Handweavers, Spinners and Dyers Guild of Tasmania were holding a weekend retreat.

we walked into a hive of yarn crafting activity but unfortunately we were running out of steam on the photo taking front.

Outside there were several trestles set up with ladies dyeing using various methods with their pots and electric frypans set up and pots of colours. Very exciting, especially for the girls who had bought dye kits back in Deloraine.

There was also a felting workshop where they were hard at it with rollers and bubble wrap and towels, creating bags, jewellery, hats...

Inside lots and lots of spinners. Someone in the group commented on how they all seemed in a state of Zen. We had one man on the bus in our group and he was quite keen to try spinning.

The ladies were so very welcoming and sharing and we could have stayed much longer but if these tourers were going to have an ice cream before home we needed to hit the road again. The guild is very active and has lots of calender events, retreats and workshops in wonderful locations so do check the link above if you are interested. I know the wilderness fibre crafting weekend in February 2016 in Tullah captured the interest of some of our group.

Heading home we stopped at the famous chocolatier house of  D'anvers for some treats. I quite enjoyed my chilli chocolate ice cream.

By now we are on the home straight and everyone's needles are flashing as they try to finish their charity knit blanket squares. It has been decided that they will be sewn into cot blankets to go to the Sunshine Foundation orphanage in Nepal.

I would like to say a big thank you to Heather for organising the charity knit and to Margaret for helping with the delicious morning tea and thanks to Vanessa for taking some photos for me so I could be everywhere at once!

Thank you to Jack's Bus service for providing such a comfortable coach and obliging driver - We love you Neil! and a MASSIVE thank you to Cranberry Crafts and Art Viva for their prizes that they donated too. And finally to the dear ladies of the Guild for their open welcome and inspiring demonstrations.

Hmmm....I wonder what next year will bring?

Yarn Lovers Tour- Northern Tasmanian Trip

It's on again!

We had so much fun last year we are going on another knitting/crochet day tour (or quilting as the places we are visiting also cross-over with quilt shops too).

If you are local in and around the Launceston area or from the south and want to be introduced to the delights of the northern yarn lovers come join us.

We leave Launceston on Saturday

13th June 2015

at

9am

from the Brickfields Park, Canning St side

We'll be travelling to Deloraine first where we sill stop at the Alpaca Shop and have a talk with producers and spinners about the benefits of alpaca fibre. 

We will also have morning tea here.

Our lunch stop will be in beautiful Ulverstone where there are many cafe choices or you may decide to pack your own lunch and give yourself more time for shopping.

While in Ulverstone we will be visiting 

Cranberry Crafts

Sew and Wool

Under the Oak

  

for some hand spun and hand dyed yarns and a large range of commercial produced yarn as well.

Along the way we'll be having a charity knit-a-long to make a blanket and lucky door prizes.

We are not for profit. Just a bunch of ladies (most of us don't know each other) getting together with a shared passion and having a day out.

The cost is $30

This covers the hire of the coach and driver for the day and morning tea is provided. Lunch is buy or pack your own. We recommend you bring a bottle of water and a pair of needles or crochet hook suitable for 8ply eg: 4mm. Most of the ladies also bring along their current projects to work on during travel.

Send me an email if you would like to come. The more the merrier (and the plusher the coach!)

Here is our Facebook event page link

pattern and yarn notes

Xmas 2014 - Copper/White/Silver

This years theme is copper/white/silver.

I've carried this theme through to the wreath also...

This year I stitched and ruched some soft ivory silk scraps and white organza and then over laid it with some copper tinged berries garland. The short, battery operated LED light string sits very easily among the wired garland twigs.

The mantle holds small vignettes of copper, silver, vintage amber bottles and old assorted books in reds. 

A beautiful hand made ceramic plate by Marley & Lockyer and some short strings of stars to light the night.

Simple white gift wrap and white raffia ribbon.

I stamped the white tags with embossing medium and powdered, mixing clear embossing powder with Ranger Perfect Pearl powder (called "perfect copper" naturally!) and used a heat gun.

I followed that through with the Christmas Cards using a pearly card stock that I had on hand.

We've polished and dusted, the crystal is throwing prisms and the silver and copper are throwing light everywhere.

Special pieces...

A special time.

Welcoming the new grandbaby to our traditions and remembering those we have lost this year.

It's hard losing those we love but to lose someone in conflict or at someone else's hand is heart breaking. My thoughts are for the families of those taken in tragic circumstances recently and my prayers are for peace.

Religion isn't violent, it's the violent and disturbed people who kill.

Peace be with you. 

Personalised Tree Decorations

Welcome someone new into the family with their very own place on the Christmas tree.

You've seen these hearts in the past here and here

I stamp names onto fine scraps of linen or cotton using a permanent ink.

Sewn directly on using running stitch and two strands of embroidery cotton.

This is also a nice way to remember family who have died too. They always have a place in our hearts and we especially remember them at Christmas time.

Be at peace one and all.

"Message In A Bauble"

I have been very busy crafting and creating these past couple of weeks in readiness for a special pop-up hand made market. Nothing new has come into the house and it's all been stash busting and it feels sooo good. With a grandchild regularly visiting I need to seriously downsize to make way for his paraphernalia. who would have thought I would have all this baby stuff again (all you experienced grandparents are sagely nodding your heads now).

Take some vintage sheet music with seldom expressed sentiments nowadays and a bucket of broken necklaces and faux pearls....

Some glass baubles and soft floaty feathers to carry your sentiments....

A beautiful personal gift for a friendship so kind and thoughtful that has sustained one through the year.

Wild Wool and Silks - Yarn Tour Part IV

You could be forgiven for mistaking this as a knitting blog but it does become a bit of a past time round here in the winter. So we bid Hobart a fond farewell and climbed back on the bus and travelled an hour north of Hobart along the Midlands Hwy to historic Oatlands, home of the (still working) flour mill (recently restored).

Oatlands is very much like Ross and remains mostly untouched by modern paraphernalia, maintaining it's original sandstone and clipped hedges streetscape. As you can see, our beautiful mild winters day morphed into an equally mild and cloudless sky afternoon. The day was picture perfect.

Opening especially for us was the "Lucky Ewe" shop, and again, a shop quite different to the previous shops at Ross and Hobart. 

Though it is probably smaller than my lounge room, it certainly is Aladdin's cave for yarn lovers, especially weavers, spinners, dyers and felters. Above is a selection of yarn dyes.

Colourful roving and hand spun. 

(and beautiful ancient floor boards)

Gorgeous silks among the woollier yarns.

I bought this silk mix for my mother. Rich vibrant golden colours.

and these sea greens for me! 

But what I was most excited to see was the "wild yarns". Hand spun merino with possum and wallaby fur, bound together with a fine silk thread. So soft and warm.

This is knitting up beautifully into a cowl for Craig when he is on the bike.

Pattern here on Ravelry

(The beautiful stitch markers were a thank you gift from one of the ladies on the bus. So beautiful)

And a hank of Jenmark Alpaca, a local alpaca fleece yarn grown just north of Hobart.

So soft and luxurious. I haven't got a project in mind yet but I just had to have it.

And more unique Tasmanian knitting needles from Tasmanian Forest Beads, made from Tas oak with Huon pine, myrtle and eucalypt burl. The larger ones look like horizontal scrub knobs.

Plenty of great gifts for knitters here!

Again we would like to thank Rowena for specially opening and for the goodies she gave us for our gift bags too. Such a unique little shop and if you can't get to Tasmania to visit it then check out her facebook page here or her site here

The tour was deemed great fun and we are planning to do another in autumn next year. This time we will travel the north west way probably late April early May. Vogue Knitting tours, eat your heart out!

Wool Centre at Ross- Yarn Tour Part II

Our first stop was historic Ross on the Midlands Hwy about an hour south of Launceston. Ross remains mostly untouched and unchanged visually from it's convict times and is so steeped in Tasmanian history that I'll revisit that subject another time but for now we'll visit the wool centre.

By the way, I think Ross has THE cleanest and most pleasant public toilets in the whole of Tasmania and makes an ideal stop for morning tea. It was an idyllic mild winters day, crystal blue skies, no wind and warm sun shining down. We set up a quick tea and coffee station on a nearby bench and served ANZAC biscuits and an Apple Spice Cake.

Directly across the road is the wool centre, perfect!

It is a retail showcase for woollen garments and knitting accessories but it is also houses a fabulous "museum" and historical display of the sheep industry in Tasmania.

You could spend at least an hour looking at the displays alone but unfortunately we only have half an hour and it's back on the bus so I arranged for a talk to the ladies about 

White Gum Wool

You can read the full story here about the ethically raised sheep in the Tasmanian midlands and you can also watch a story clip here from a Landline special here.

I contacted Nan Bray, the owner of the sheep farm, to see if she would speak to us at the centre but unfortunately she was right in the middle of shearing but we had a lovely lady from the centre give us a brief insight into the difference of White Gum Wool. Many of the techniques employed on the farm are in direct contrast to most properties and I would imagine there a few hairy-eared farmers having a bit of a scoff but I think Nan is a real hero. One of the really interesting things she does is manage pasture for greater diversity of food selection and she allows the lambs to self wean and stay within their family groups for five years. Her philosophy is that though genetics are certainly important, just as, or if not more importantly, is the way in which sheep are raised. You get back what you put in. Do watch the video link, it's a great story.

The ladies had a great time and most bought something from the White Gum Wool range. I bought a ball of the sock wool to try and look forward to working with it. They will become a pair of socks for Craig.

Don't you just love these needles? These are from Art Viva and are Tasmanian made, you may recall from a recent post that I tried these out at the Campbell Town show this year and bought a couple of pairs. I really like the point and angle on them. Here is the link for Art Viva if you would like to see more.

That's it, time's up!

Back on the bus for a bit more mystery knitting and on to our next stop in Hobart!

........