Learning to spin wool!

The Wiltshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers is based in Steeple Ashton. They are a really friendly group of people with a wealth of information on spinning, weaving, dyeing and much more.

I love trying new things and I thought I would learn how to spin when a course was offered to me by the wonderful Kathy from the Guild.

Six weeks (almost) later and I can spin! My yarn still has a way to go before its quality is suitable for anything more than 'art yarn' but I'm really proud of what I have created.

This is a bobbin of yard I have plyed. There is even some silk in there!

Above are pictures of my niddynoddy (what a great name) with my yarn wrapped round. This needs to stay like this for 24 hours and then I can wash it. Once it is dried, it is ready to be used and I will show you what I create with it on another post.

I have made new friends and learnt so much about different sheep and their fleeces, spinning techniques, crimp and twist - I could go on! So, if you get a chance to go on a course to learn something new - go for it!

Up-cycled paper light shade

The light above my studio has need a light shade for some time but the problem was I never saw anything I really liked, so I decided to make my own.
I spent some time on pinterest researching some ideas. Next thing I knew I was creating!!
Time was spent cutting and punching out shapes from tissue paper. I found the shape punch worked much better if I folded the tissue paper a few times before inserting it into the gap.
I used slightly watered down pva glue to glue the shapes onto the paper shade.
It is now up and definitely brightens up the room!!

Sail boat jelly

Hello, if you are reading this, you have stumbled across my first blog post so bear with me as I learn and hopefully improve. I want to share my creative triumphs, trials and tribulations, so here goes...

These are my jelly sail boats I created to make lunch more interesting.
Cut an orange in half and scoop out the flesh, you just need the outside of the orange so eat the rest!
Make up the jelly but use half the water suggested on the packet. Pour into the orange halves and leave them to set in the fridge.
Once they are set (at least a couple of hour), cut the oranges in half and then in half again. (Make bigger boats if you prefer), then cut a triangle of white paper, put a cocktail stick through the paper and into the jelly.
If you have time, you could get the children to decorate the sails first.

We also had a 'rainbow' plate of food for lunch, healthy and fun.