Coral and Orange

Linked to:

Annemarie's Haaakblog

Coral Summer Earrings

There's been a flurry of creative activity in these parts lately and I've been making all sorts of things, including bags, pouches, necklaces and earrings.

These are the coral organza earrings I made the other day and I have already given them to a friend. The colour is so very bright and cheery and just perfect for summer.

 Now I want to make some blue and yellow ones....

Linked to:
Ginger Snaps

Etsy Front Page!

One of my absolute favourite flowers made it to the front page of Etsy today, in an amazing treasury curated by the girls behind one of my very favourite etsy shops: Pemberly Pond.

Thank you Lala and Louise!

Flamingo Pink Organza Flower Hair Clip by Fairytale Flower

So here is the flower that made it to the front page.

The bold flamingo pink of this flower is actually produced by a riotous mix of coral, red, tangerine, neon pink and fuchsia petals. 

The photo above has very accurately captured the colour.

Mother-Daughter Set of 2 Flamingo Pink Organza Flower Hair Clip - Corsages

While this photo above hasn't captured the colour well at all, it's great for showing the scale. These are pretty big flowers that can be worn as a corsage or a hair clip.

Here it is on the front page of Etsy.

Autumnal Spirit

Some magical photos by Kelsie Taylor, perfectly capturing the autumn mood we've been having around here lately even though they've been taken half a world away.

See more photos from this fabulous fall shoot at Kelsie Taylor Photography.

Accessories: 

Coral organza flower hair clip by Fairytale Flower

White ruffle cuff by One PerfectDay

Model:

Madison Kennedy Taylor

How To Make Fabric Flowers - a DIY Tutorial

This is a picture tutorial on how to make your very own, easy but fabulously pretty fabric flowers. 

In three different versions.

Just follow the step by step instructions.

These are the three different versions of the flower:

The cut of your petals decides the resulting look.

 Step 1. To make one flower, cut at least 9 circles of fabric, all in the same size and give 8 of them the shape you prefer. (The 9th petal will be used as your base and you need that circular.)

Tip: The more petals you add, the fuller the resulting flower.

 A simple circle gives you this flower.

A simple circle cut with pinking shears gives you this flower.

A star shaped petal gives you this flower.

  Step 2: Take the circle of your fabric designated as the base. You will be sewing all the flower petals on this base, one by one as shown in the following pictures.

Tip: You can use any fabric of your choice for the base.

Choose the base according to your needs. 

For example, a thin fabric choice for the flower might need the base to be sturdier for a  better result.

Step 3. Fold all your petals in half and then in half again, until you get the folded 'quarter' petal shown in the pictures. 

(Four of these 'quarters', will make up one layer of petals.)

Step 4. Proceed to sew four of them onto the centre of your base -as shown in the pictures- one by one until they have filled the four quarters of your base circle.

I found that they are sewn on more symmetricaly if you sew the second petal  opposite the first petal.

Then continue sewing the third petal and fourth petals in the two gaps left by the previous two petals sewn opposite each other.

Step 5.When the first layer of petals is sewn on, you need to sew one more layer on top of that to complete your flower.

You do the same thing as in the previous layer of petals and sew four more folded petals on top.

Try to position them slightly rotated, by half a petal, over the original petals. 

This will discourage gaps in the finished flower.

If your fabric is a bit hard to handle or if this your very first flower, you might need the help of some pins keeping the lower layer of petals in order, ie out of your way....

When you sew in the very last of your petals, your flower will look something like this.

Congratulations!

You've done it!

Now you can use your lovely handmade flower in any number of ways.

You can make your very own fabric flower accessories, sashes, headbands,hair clips,  pins, brooches, shoe clips, wrist corsages, garlands, table decor -the sky's the limit really!

They make great last minute gifts too, as they are so easy to make.

I added a brooch back to these and made some spring gifts I needed in a pinch.

Last but not least, they also make great Mother's Day gifts. 

How can you beat flower keepsakes that will last and be cherished for a long time!

Especially if there are little hands involved in the making.

 This could be a great project to ease kids into sewing or if you want a more child-friendly version, you could use glue to secure the petals onto the base.

 Extra tips and notes:

The fabric I've used here is a vibrant coral synthetic fabric which doesn't fray. 
These would look great in felt or any non-fraying material but I've made them in natural cotton as well -which frays fatser than you can look at it- and I loved that look too.
Just decide what works for you and the rest is easy.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comment section below and I'll get back to you.

Linked to:

Annemarie's Crochet Blog, I Heart Naptime, Homework, My Creative Space, Chase The Star

Azulado Raffle and Prizes

Selection Of Azulado Raffle Prizes

Sandra -a member of the EuropeanStreetTeam- had the extreme misfortune of losing her husband over the holidays and is left to support her five year old son on her own.

Her etsy team ESTspirit has taken it upon itself to organize a raffle in support of her plight.

For a $5 ticket you will not only be in the running for over fifty prizes -only some of which are shown in the mosaic above- donated by talented and generous est team members but you will also be supporting a grieving family.

You can see the whole story, the details of the raffle and the prizes over at StarOfTheEast.

You can even see Maria's own heartrending account of her story on her blog Azulaterra.

And of course you can always visit Sanra's shop Azulado and buy one of her ceramic masterpieces.

Azulado

If you are not familiar with Sanra's beautiful ceramic creations, then the  photos above will give you an idea of her wonderful work.

My Creative Space - Orange and Rose

These are my latest organza flowers. 

A mix of rose and gold and orange organza which I was a bit doubtful of at first, but now it's won me over. I find it very feminine and chic.

I can imagine this in the impecably coiffed hair of a pin-up girl.

Linked to:

OurCreativeSpaces

Monday Moodboard - Blush

1. DueAlberi

2. Alekaki

3. GogoKorogiannou

4. Astash

Monday Mooodboard is a game played by the members of the European Etsy Team every Monday. The moodboard is a selection of items from the team that reflect your mood on that particular day. Anyone in the team can join in. Just link your very own moodboard to the host of the game StarOfTheEast.

Monday Moodboard - The Life Acquatic

1. Sea Shell Stud Earrings
2. Unique Stoneware Fish Magnets in Light Red and Violet
3. Brooch Hat Pin Milky White and Red Ceramic Fungi Coral
4. Over The Sea - Fine Art Photograph Print

Monday Mooodboard is a game played by the members of the European etsy Team every Monday.   The moodboard is a selection of items from the team that reflect your mood at that particular day.  It's lots of fun!
Anyone in the team can join in. Just link your very own moodboard to the host of the game Star Of The East