Just FYI, I am starting to sell some of my designs over on Spoonflower. I was going to keep them to myself but I felt I could use a little bit of commission money, so it may take a while but I plan to grow my selection. There are more in the pipeline I just need to get them printed for myself before I can OK them for you guys, so please bookmark my page and come back often…. Oh and suggestions for designs are always welcome if you’re looking for something specific!
LINK: http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/pennydog
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Also just putting this out there if you would care to have a look through the entries and vote for your favourite. You don’t have to vote for me- but obviously if you do I’ll be chuffed 😀 Voting ends in about a week’s time.
Lastly, on the topic of Crafteroo, get in touch if you want a free quarter page advert in the next issue of the magazine, out quarterly and the next issue is due 1st July. The only catch is for the 3 months we will promote your blog/website/shop/whatever, we would like you to put a button to our site on your blog or website. I’m in the process of making the button now and there’s not an awful long time to go- just a month! We have 23 gaps to fill so don’t be shy 🙂
March 16, 2012 – 12:59 pm
I have this box of buttons. What I call boring buttons- browns and black and whites and standard looking things, but useful nevertheless. The box is 4 inches square and 2.5 inches deep and it’s pretty much full.
Do you want it?
If so you have a week (so until midday GMT on Friday 23rd March 2012) to leave a comment on this post guessing how many buttons are in the box. I will then count and the closest guess will win! One entry per person please 🙂
Also, if you like buttons, look out for issue 3 of Crafteroo magazine out on 1st April. Not only will I have a tutorial on making a book with giant buttons as seen on the cover…
… but also I have a tutorial on how to make pretty buttons- I have made glittery and these animal ones and will tell you how I did it!
January 30, 2012 – 11:49 am
I’ve decided that recipes I’d pinned on Pinterest count towards the challenge, but I felt that if I did two of them, that would make it count more! So yesterday I made cheese and spring onion beer bread- dead simple, no kneading, no rising, no fuss! Here’s the recipe.
I also made salted caramels, taking this recipe and sprinkling sea salt crystals lightly over the top I’m not sure how I feel about salt on them yet, but once dipped in chocolate I have a feeling they will work much better. I need to cut them up, but I couldn’t resist popping a circle out to taste. I’m in disbelief that they actually set! To make them exactly as I have, substitute the butter for sunflower spread and the cream for Weight Watchers extra thick double cream. It works! You will most definitely need a sugar thermometer though, there’s no way around that!
I’ve been moving into my new room in the garage. I still have a wall to paper, some skirting board to go down and some stuff to put on the wall so it feels a bit more homely but it’s getting there. Please excuse the clutter, some of it is crafty destash stuff I have listed here, other bits just need allocating a home. I love having a double school desk to use as an extension table for my quilting and the red cabinets with the textured white wall, I think it works really well! Who knew I had so much ribbon that I need two more hangers putting up though?! I can’t wait to get my fabric on the shelves and all visible for easy selection but I am waiting for boards to come in the post (I have been waiting over a fortnight so I am starting to get quite impatient).
I got a new clock yesterday too! I will give you a proper tour when I am completely moved in, I can’t guarantee at the decorating will be done by then though!
PS- that quilt on the desk that you’ve seen a million times before on here? I’m nearly halfway through quilting it, then I’m going to bind it by bringing the backing fabric forward and I will have my very own quilt just for me!
January 1, 2012 – 12:11 am
I’ve just made my first item for the Crafteroo Pinterest challenge, a day early but this will be my January make.
What we have to do is make something from all of the tutorials we pin over on Pinterest, as usually what happens is they then get forgotten about…. This was made with a tutorial from 2006 from u-handbag, very useful but I am shocking at corners!
I can also now show you the cushions I made, one for each Secret Santa I did this year. I’m going to make other designs, and they take about 6 hours each to make as they are all quilted as well as appliqued twice. They’re my own designs as well, drawing new ones is my favourite part!
December 30, 2011 – 9:50 pm
There’s a big giveaway over on Quokka Quilts right now where you design your own fabric collection using those already available in the Fat Quarter Shop. It has been a lot of fun putting mine together- I love colour and Feedsack reproductions! I chose to loosely go with yellow and brown base colours, with a healthy splash of teal and a bit of red….
Also you may like to know that issue 2 of Crafteroo Magazine is out right now! To be perfectly honest I’m glad to see the back of this issue, it’s been a lot of hard work. I’m going to sit on my new slouchy sofa with beans on toast and watch Charlie Brooker’s Review of the Year because I deserve it 😉
December 20, 2011 – 10:55 am
I got a nice bundle of pressies yesterday which made up for me spending an entire week making chocolates (including 3 days booked of work at last minute). So whilst the carpet fitters were in putting down the new carpet you can see in these photos(!) I was crammed in the conservatory with the crying dog and all the furniture opening my packages and it was just the pick-me-up I needed.
Firstly I decided I was going to be naughty and open my secret santa gift from the Crafteroo forum. I organised the partners so I know who sent to me, which is slightly cheating! Anyway thanks SO MUCH Ali, I am thrilled with what I got!
A hedgehog pin cushion, a hedgehog make-up bag (how did you know mine was dilapidated?), some gorgeous print fabrics and a book!
For those that are wondering, “Why the hedgehogs?”, I am on the waiting list for a baby african pygmy hedgehog of my own in the new year 🙂
I also received three charms in the post which I will attach to a bracelet when they all come in. These are from an X Factor Sweepstake that we had over on the Craft Pimp forum. We were all allocated an act- some got another when theirs left as there were 10 of us in the swap and 12 acts- and I got Little Mix, who won! So I get a charm from each of the other participants- lucky me! 😀
From left to right… Jo, Vic, Fiona
I can’t wait to see what else come! My OH particularly likes the metalwork one by Jo, but my photo is a bit pants at showing them off. I’m very pleased with what I have so far!
I have a huge quilt to get done in time for Christmas, I hope to show you that soon!
October 1, 2011 – 7:56 am
As some of you will know already, a few of us over on the Crafteroo forum have got together to work on a new project- Crafteroo Magazine! We’re very excited about this, because not only should it drive more traffic our way, but also it should help us raise revenues for hosting, advertising and even craft challenges to make the forum even better!
The first issue is officially on sale TODAY! It only costs £1.50, has 17 craft projects and some great business ideas as well as being an interesting read- so hopefully you will find it terrific value for money. I dare you to not like it- we have spent months putting it together and everyone has workedso well to bring their different skills and knowledge to the project, all for free which is very generous.
Here are the contents… (click to enlarge)
If you’re sold on the idea, then the instructions on how to get your copy are HERE.
Please come and support us!
This week I’ve been relearning the Adobe Suite and have been working on the soon-to-be-launched Crafteroo magazine, available digitally through Etsy and Folksy shops of forum members plus the Crafteroo forum itself from 1st October. Just in case you might be interested in advertising, the rates are cheap for the first issue (which will cost £1.50), all of the details are below should you be interested! (click pictures to enlarge)
I’ve not finished the front cover yet, but it’s nearly there…
And here’s a sample project from within!
October 22, 2009 – 12:15 pm
We’ve decided to reopen the Folksy shop again with items generously donated by Crafteroo forum members. Last time we raised over £600 for Comic Relief with 98 sales, and we hope to do just as well this time! please have a little browse, and if you decide you’d like to donate too, please have a look at this thread for how to take part.
Here’s a taster of the lovely donations so far:
Thank you!
Second blog post of the day, and it’s not even 9am! I just wanted to let you know that there is a competition over on Crafteroo to celebrate the 1st birthday of the forum. There are prizes for referring new members and also for the new members that have been referred.
I’d recommend signing up anyway, I’ve been there almost from day one as a moderator and find it really useful as well as entertaining at times! Most members are UK based, but it’s open to international members. Winning new members will be selected at random, all you have to do is make at least 5 posts to qualify for the prize draw. Details on prizes can be found on this forum thread: http://www.crafteroo.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4165.0 and you can also have a little look around as a guest before signing up to see what it’s all about if you so wish.
Be sure to say pennydog referred you if you decide to come on over!
PennyDog Patchwork (and illustration, recipes, other crafts...) 