Snowflake Week : my crafts!!

...As I said somewhere (I think on my Facebook page!), the challenge is on!!!

So, I started with the snowflake patterns...

...Oh yes, I've even traced a fox muzzle, but I'll keep this one for the weekend!!

I've collect all the materials I needed....

• some colourful (neon!) felt
• some twines
• metallic (nickel free) rings
• a blue metallic chain (you'll see it later!)
• a needle
• a pair of scissors

I traced the snowflakes patterns on a piece of tracing paper. I cut them off and placed them directly on the felt, keeping them in place with the help of a pin. I used a pair of scissors with straight blades.

For each colour, I've cut out 2 snowflakes. In total, I had 2 pink (large size), 2 green (medium size) and 2 orange (small size).

From the above photo, you can see that I decided to cut 4 extra small snowflakes (white)...

What I did with all of them??? I had 2 projects in mind....!!!!

I paired each couple of snowflakes. I started to work with the colourful ones...

....for the first craft, I chose a blue metallic chain....

...and I sewn them, paired, with the blanket stitch and the backstitch, using the twines...

Completed the sewing, I added some metallic rings at each snowflake, so that I could attach them all to the blue chain...

....I have a new necklace!!!!

....but what I did with the little white ones????

Take a peek...

I have a new pair of earrings, too, and...

What do you think of all my work (a part my silly self portrait!!! ;oD ) ?????

You know what??? I'm going to link them at Craft-A-Day : Fox Week ! ..... eh! eh! eh!
See you there, too??? ;oD

xxxx, Alessandra

Craft-A-Day : Fox Week !!!

So today is the BIG DAY!!!!!!

Craft-A-Day Year Projects starts officially with today's post!!! Yay!!!!

Yesterday, I've done an introduction in this post, so if you are a little bit curious go there and read it from the beginning to the end!!! Thank you!!!

As you know, this crafty adventure will follow the patterns given in the book Craft-A-Day 365 simple handmade projects by Sarah Goldschadt  and I have also decided to follow the Pattern Index given by the author.

This first week starts from the 8th of January (Tuesday) and it will end the 14th (Monday).
In these days there will be (at the end of this same post) a link tool open, that will permit you to link your crafts related to the weekly theme!

Today's Week Theme is the following : Fox Week !!!

In her book, Sarah had designed 4 fox patterns (2 bodies and 2 muzzles, both in 2 different sizes) and what did she with them? The followings (one craft for each day of the week):

1. a Fox Finger Puppet
2. a Felt Fox Ornament
3. a Fox Topper
4. a Fox Gift Tag
5. a Plush Fox
6. a Mini Fox Topper
7. a Fox Card

Are you going to do the same? Are you going to do something different? Are you going to do just one or more???
Please, show me all your beautiful projects and ideas!!! I'll be so happy to have this opportunity!!! Thank you so much in advance!!!

As you know, the book starts with the first of January.... But I was still on holiday....
I've decided to consider the missing first week as a bonus for you!!! Infact, if you prefer, you may link a project using the Snowflake patterns !!!!
Sarah used the snowflakes to create something simple and nice like :

1. a Snowflake Barrette
2. a Mini Snowflake Stamp
3. a Paper Snowflake Mobile
4. a Snowflake Wall Art
5. Mini Snowflake Toppers
6. a Snowflake Card
7. a Snowflake Garland Card

Are you ready to take this "challenge"? Yes? So don't loose a second more!!!
Have fun and surprise me with your creations!!!!

....I'll be in the challenge, too!!! ;oD

Craft-A-Day Year Project!!!!

For Christmas, among other really nice things, I've received a nice craft book (my collection is really huge! Love Books with crafts!!!), titled "CRAFT-A-DAY 365 simple handmade projects" written by Sarah Goldschadt.....

Sorry for the pics quality.....my camera is still "broken"...

I loved it since the first page!!!! I like everything about it!!! Nice projects, lovely pictures, simple patterns and i really enjoy the facts that there is a theme to develop every week of the year and for each day there is an idea to get involved in!!!

So, after a couple of days, I wrote an email to Sarah....

From: Alessandra  Subject: Craft-a-Day year project Message Body: Dear Sarah, I've just received your book for Christmas!!!! It's such a nice, clever and happy book!!! I really love the simple projects, because they don't need hours to be completed and the materials involved are not impossible to find or even expensive! Thank you for all this! As a blogger (http://homemadeatmyplace.blogspot.com/) I would love to start a year project taking inspiration from "Craft-a-Day"! Your book is divided into weekly projects, so I was thinking to involve the readers of my blog in a craft challenge every week, starting from the 1st of January 2013!!! I think it would be a nice adventure! The fact that push me to do that is that I'm curious to know what each crafter can imagine and can create from your patterns!!! It would be nice if they can something new/different starting from your ideas! Maybe they would love to recreate the same you did and sometimes maybe not!! I was thinking to start a link tool with inlinkz.com, so that the people involved may link their crafts to my blog, using thumbnails and a little description! It would be nice even to suggest them to add their photos to your Flickr Group Pool "Craft A Day"!!! What do you think??? Maybe I need even to prepare a button related to this initiative!!! The only thing that stops me is the following : I don't know how many people own this book or if it's possible to borrow in pubblic libraries, so that they can trace the patterns to work on! I don't think that I'm authorized to show your patterns on my blog, right??? Any advice??? Thank you so much and enjoy the Christmas Holidays, xxx Alessandra

Well, it was the 27th of December....still holidays on the way.....I was preparing my luggages to go to Lombok.....I thought that Sarah was busy, too!!!
But....surprise!!! On the morning of the 3rd of January I found an email in my mailbox...

Hello Alessandra!

Happy 2013 to you. Thanks so much for your enthusiasm for crafting and for my book! I'm really happy that you like it. I think for now I'll give a shout out each week on my blog and encourage people to tag their photos with #craftaday. That way the publisher and I can repin their projects on pinterest and feature them on the Quirk Books blog. Thanks again and I can't wait to see the projects you make!

Sarah

It was a good way to start my morning!!!!! So happy to read a positive response!!!!

So my dear friends, are you ready to join me in this year adventure?????? I really love the idea to share this crafty fun with you all!!!! Even with your kids, if they would love to join!!!

If you want to collect more information about the book and about the author, I'm giving you some useful addresses:

Quirk Books (the publisher), where you can find more informations about the author and her book, where you can share your creations (on Pinterest!) and download exclusive contents!

SAH-RAH that is the blog of Sarah Goldschadt!

If you don't have a copy of the book or you cannot find it in bookstores or public libraries, I suggest you to borrow it from a friend or to download it (buy the winter edition iPad app!) right from Sarah blog !!!

Now, the rules to follow along the year:

• every week, starting from the 8th of January 2013, I will tell you the Week Theme, just as indicated in the Pattern Index of the book
• from the pattern given in the book you have to create your craft. You can choose the size you prefer to work with it, but the pattern has to be the one designed by Sarah!
• I suggest you to use the materials that you have at home at the moment, don't go out just to to buy them! Recycle and be creative with what you have right in your cupboards or drawers!!!
• When you have done with your project, please link it to my blog! For the occasion I'm preparing a link tool (www.inlinkz.com) so you can show me and to other curious people what you did!! 
• The Craft-A-Day Year Project will run for all the 2013 !!! Every week you'll find the new theme to follow and the link tool for you to use! If you like, you don't have to follow strictly the ideas given by Sarah, if you want to try something new, please feel free to do it! Just remember to use the given pattern!
• Have fun in being creative!!!!
• Thank you for your participation and please be sure to make a back link to my blog, so that other curious crafters may find this space and share their crafts, too!!!
• Probably there will be a button to show the Craft-A-Day Year Project on your blog! Soon I hope!!
• Any question/problem, please contact me at my email address !!!

So get ready and see you tomorrow with the first Week Theme!!!!

xxxx, Alessandra

P.S.: Thank you Sarah for your support!! :oD

Back on track!!!

Happy 2013!!!!!

How was your first week in the new year??? I hope really good!!! ;oD

We just came back from Lombok, yesterday afternoon! We spent our holiday at the Novotel Lombok and it was really relaxing....I really need this break to rest and to stay with my boys....I  spent my time reading (I really enjoyed "Gold" by Chris Cleave), walking on the beach, resting under the gazebo, crocheting and pinning a lot, as some of you surely knows!!!!

The only not so good thing was that my camera had some problems, like loosing very tiny screws from the lens.....sigh.....so I didn't take a lot of pics, because I was really worried not to ruin completely my camera.....tomorrow I'll bring the lens to have a check....I hope nothing so terrible happened....

Anyway, something was catched by my camera....enjoy them!!!

....and tomorrow the boys are going back to school.....the hubby is going back to work....sigh...
I really enjoyed to stay with them 24/7!!!!

Stay tuned!!! There are some news!!! I'll show you this Tuesday....

xxxx, Alessandra