Buttons…. but not as we know them.

Fabulous!

Yes! all buttons....but still not maybe as you think.

.....badge type buttons....

...and in 3D...

Read more about Anders Brekhus Nilsen or  click on his images to see a stop motion video of this work coming together.

Lots of new listings on Etsy… have a peek!

My etsy shop is full to the brim with Christmas gift ideas. Click on the owl below to have a look!

Owl tutorial launch and giveaway

 

Those who have been following along will already know that I have been working at perfecting my first harrysdesk tutorial.

Thanks again to everyone that tested it for me and gave comments.

One of the tutorial testers I haven’t told you about is Erica.

So now I will.

Erica has not only tested the tutorial and given me feedback, but also asked if she could give some of the owl brooches away that she had made.

I though it was a perfect opportunity to officially launch the tutorial, make it available for purchase (via etsy) and of course give some away.

So October will be a little like Owl-tober.

All up you have nine chances to win. Yes lots!!

 

 

Erica with her tie wrapped hat and co-ordinating owls.

 

Erica is giving away 3 sets (mother and child) of owl brooches at her blog Recycled fashion. Go there and enter!

I will be giving away 3 tutorials, 2 tutorials complete with all the pieces needed to make your own owl brooch, and 1 t-shirt.

 

 

This t-shirt could be yours.... Small lady size (fits my big girls too)

 

All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know which things you would like to be in the running for. Also tell me why you think owls are so enduring….

As usual facebooking, tweeting and blogging it on will give you more entries.

If you are a give away junky you can find a list of them over at CurlyTops.

More owl tutorial feedback

three owlets by Steph of Moobear designs

Another one of my lovely testers Steph, has sent me photos of her owls. These were made using the tutorial I am fine tuning.

Don’t they look great…… I love their beaks especially.

She said:

“I think the tutorial is very YOU and easy to understand. I love that I had a lot of freedom to be creative so I could really make it my own. The best part of the tutorial for me was learning how to put the pin through the felt. I never thought of doing that with my own brooches so you have taught me something  else as well. I don’t know how to do a french know so I just did 2 normal knots and cut the thread!!”

Thanks Steph!

Updated Bag gallery… have a look

Make a photo slideshow

Upcycled Anything Interesting: Books

I know this feels a little “anti books” at the end of book week and all, but I wanted to celebrate book week in a very harrysdesk kind of way. And what better way, than to upcycle your books. That way you can keep them forever!

Yellow Flower Fawn - Upcycled paper brooch by REread. Image from etsy.

The upcycled 'bookshelf' by not tom. Photo from site

Botany (Stationery Set) by Dombot. Image from etsy.

The beautiful work of Sophie. Image from her blog... Storms dressed as stars.

Magnets made from a 1930's school book. Image via etsy. Magnets by Misschief

A book counter in 'Brunswick Bound' a bookshop in Melbourne. Image from the design files

Photo from Etsy. 1945 Upcycled Vintage Book Spine Cuff Bracelet ENGLISH in ACTION by SimpleJoysPaperie.

Oh… and you can also read them …. the books I mean…. over and over and over again.

Tomorrow I will do a DIY post on upcycling books so you can have a go yourself.

Yes, I know I have posted here and here on upcycling books before…. but I have new things to share.

See you tomorrow.

More owl tutorial feedback and fun!

Paula said….

I had a lot of fun making them.
The instructions were very clear and accurate…..

….I love that it doesn’t have to be
accurate stitching – an eye or a nose off centre
just adds to their character, and it was wonderful
to see their personality forming as I stitched…..

Thanks Paula for testing them, now enjoy wearing them!

Paula's owls made with the tutorial....I love the pink and aqua combo for the eyes.

Very Vintage…..

A bag full of history!

Just recently my friend Caroline arrived with a bag full of her Dad’s old ties. They had appeared at her house while she was on holidays, with the words… “For Ally”

It was a time line of 40 years of tie fashion in a bag!

So fun to go through and imagine the outfits that had accompanied these ‘artworks’ around his neck.

Included was a floral yellow tie that her Mum had made for her Dad when they were going out!

There were crocheted ties, wool tartan ties, cotton lace embroidered ties, very wide ties and very thin ties.

From this very personal collection Caroline had selected a group of co-ordinating ties, that she then wanted made into a bag for her husband to give her for her birthday.

I really enjoyed knowing the origin of the ties I was working with… I often imagine where they have been… but this time I knew. Making them into something was a nice way not to part with history quite yet!

Happy Birthday Caroline! I hope you enjoy the bag with history.

History bag front... complete with removable rosette.

All the usable labels were used to make the rosette. I love the '100% polyester' label. This used to be a positive selling point!

The sliding shoulder pad.

The lining... I'm really happy with how this turned out. It's a reclaimed cream embroidered table cloth I had in my stash. It adds a softness to the bag that is very Caroline.

The back....

Wooo Hooot…. my first owl tutorial feedback.

Mel's first owl.... love those lashes.

Mel's 8 year old's first effort. Love the beak.

Mel recently emailed me having tried the owl tutorial.

She gave me some really useful feedback. Here is what she said…..

Now that the kids have broken up for the summer holiday I’ve had a chance to work through your tutorial with my daughter (the 8-year-old) Please find attached photos of the owls she and I made! I hope it goes without saying that mine is the pink one and hers the blue and gold….

The tutorial was very clear and easy to follow, and the diagrams helpful. Beth needed a bit of help – she insisted on doing as much as possible herself, but I helped with knotting threads and so on, and with keeping the right bits showing at the front and none of the wrong bits! She wouldn’t have managed it on her own I don’t think, but with my help she thoroughly enjoyed making her owl and wanted to make another one straight away…. While I didn’t agree to that, we’ll definitely make more over the summer (I thought we might stitch one straight onto a t-shirt for her, and maybe embroider a tree branch for it to sit on, but maybe I’m getting carried away?!

A couple of very minor spelling and grammar points, I hope you don’t mind? In steps 1 and 2 there should be an apostrophe in owl’s body and owl’s head; and ’broach’ is more commonly spelt ‘brooch’ when it refers to the item of jewellery (though having said that, perhaps it varies in different countries). I hope you don’t mind me saying!

Overall, great tutorial, and I found the ideas of how to decorate the owl in step 8 particularly useful.

I hope this feedback is helpful and would be more than happy to answer any specific questions about how I found it Thanks again for letting me test it for you!xx

Thanks so much Mel! I really appreciate all the feedback, even the grammar! NOT a strength, so I am really glad when it is someone else’s (or is it elses???)

I am looking forward to more feedback! I will share it as I get it.

Look who’s talking….. about harrysdesk.

The story of the bag from the other side...

Steph has put together a post about her bag.

See what she’s got to say at Moobear!