DIY: Pom pom twigs

Another quick tutorial I did for Craft Candy recently, simply using pom pom fringing, a splash of paint, some twigs I picked up in the park and my favourite craft tool of choice - the glue gun.  

Flashback: Helen Musselwhite

I first found Helen Musselwhite's work back in 2010, and wrote about her intricate paper cut creations on this blog.  I have recently seen her creations cropping up on Pinterest a lot lately and wanted to show her current work to you all again, in case you missed it first time round.

Helen lives just south of Manchester and takes a lot of her inspiration from the countryside round there which is obvious from her work which feature lots of British flora and fauna.  Helen has been busy since I last featured her and her work has been used on many magazine covers and advertising campaigns, including Audi, Cadbury and Nokia and also window designs for Stella McCartney and Smythson.  

I love to read about people making a living from something they LOVE doing, which is sadly a bit of a rarity in this day and age.  You can see how much care and attention goes into her work and its lovely to read on her website that ..'I think it’s simply that I love doing this so much I can get totally lost in what I’m doing and the time passes by without me noticing. I’m at my happiest when I’ve nearly finished a piece that I’ve been really caught up in – sometimes I feel quite bereft when I’ve finished them!..'

DIY: My stool revamp for Craft Candy

I've spent a very happy morning sanding, painting and gluing today. What have I been making (apart from a big mess)? Well, I'm very excited to say that I've been asked to film some DIY craft videos for Craft Candy, an online venture based in London who have approached workshop listing in a new and exciting way. Passionate about Craft, Social Media and technology, Craft Candy make it easier for you to find a local workshop, club or market in your area.  The videos will be used in Craft Candy's monthly newsletters and on their website. I love nothing more than getting my hands dirty and burning the old fingers and thumbs on my geriatric glue-gun so this is a match made in crafty heaven.

Today's offering?  I took a tired old stool which I found at a car boot sale last summer for the princely sum of £3.  I knew it had potential and it has been crying out for a makeover for months.  So, I gave it a new lease of life using my favourite colour, eye-popping neon pink, and a scrap of bold geo fabric.  What do you think of it?

Maker Spotlight: Joe Christopherson

I came across Joe Christopherson's work via Pinterest (See, there is a good reason why I spend so much of my spare time trawling that website!).  However, I can't seem to find out much about him which is a shame, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to show his delicate bowls to you and I have found that the Flow Gallery is exhibiting his work, according to their website, so if you are in London, go and have a look at his work in the flesh.

DIY round-up: height charts

Do you remember standing up as straight and tall as you possibly could while your mum or dad marked off your height on the family chart, willing yourself to be a whole 3 or 4 inches taller than the year before?  I do, and although I've never made it past 5ft tall I was always excited to see my progress on the tattered giraffe growth chart.   Here are some creative ways to create height charts that look pretty on display all year round with the added bonus of being able to take them with you if you move house:

Burlap Chart

Measuring tape

This measuring tape by Variations on Normal was made and used as a diary, but you could do the same thing for a height chart.

  
Giant ruler

Trending: Pom poms

Traditionally, pom-poms were simple creations made by children but they seem to be having a bit of a grown-up renaissance at the moment.  Pom-poms are being turned into all manner of homewares and used to decorate clothing and accessories and have recently been seen on the catwalk too.  Join the trend by adding these fluffy delights to scarves and blankets, turn them into garlands, poufs or necklaces and even make chandeliers from them.  Have you jumped onto the pom-pom train yet?  

Pom-pom fashion

Pom-pom pouf

Pom-pom scarf

Pom-pom garland

Pom pom chair

Pom-pom flowers

Pom-pom chandelier