A portrait postcard of an Indian school girl

I have a whole bundle of travel postcards in my head - waiting to be made into reality. I finally finished an Indian one last week.

Isn't she sweet? Off to school in her pinafore dress.

Baking paper: Makes excellent pattern paper

Although I filled my suitcase with craft supplies for our move to India (and then Uganda) every now and then I curse some essential item I forgot. Recently I discovered that I really didn't have any paper thin enough to allow me to trace a shape to make into a pattern.

So I did what I always do in this situation - I popped to the local supermarket and scoured their shelves.

Baking paper (available even in Uganda) makes excellent pattern paper. It's thin enough to trace through AND thin enough to pin to fabric to allow shape cutting. The fact that it's super cheap is an extra boon. To be honest I even used it in London. It's too useful!

The following photos show me using baking paper to make my felt map of Uganda.

Safari Brooches

The other weekend I was lucky enough to go on a 3 day safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya. It was brilliant! We saw so many animals I lost count and filled my camera with pictures. To celebrate I've been playing around with African animals as my theme and have started making some brooches in memory of the animals we saw.

I started off by sketching animals onto calico and then painting over them with my fabric dyes. This was fun.

Our cleaner thought I was quite, quite mad when she discovered all the drying fabric scraps I'd littered the bedroom with though.

Once they were dry I started embroidering the animals. Then, I cut them out and sewed them onto felt for the backing.

I've finished three badges so far. What do you think? The lion is my favourite so far.

I have an elephant planned. What other animals should I do? 

An African Cricket

I made this little chap today. I think he's rather fetching.

The Year of the Snake

Today is Chinese New Year! And it's the year of the snake. 2013 is the year of the water snake (according to wikipedia). I made this decoration in celebration using my favourite material - felt.

Easy to make felt baby shoes

I was reading A Beautiful Mess (really awesome blog) the other week and found this amazing post about DIY moccasins for children.

The author Katie had adapted the idea from Purl Bee's pattern for felt baby shoes.

Awwwwww! It's at times like this that I wish I had children to make things for. Not to be deterred I decided to make some anyway. The pattern is super easy! I made the above shoes in above 30 mins - and that includes faffing time.

They're not quite finished as I don't have any elastic and as you can see the fabric pen hasn't faded yet. But.... I was so excited I just wanted to share this awesome new project.

Don't break my heart

A friend of mine was going in for heart surgery. She asked for cheesy and bad-taste songs. I sent her as many as I could think of and then made her the above. The background and heart are felt. I made the words by painting onto calico with fabric paint. 

A map of New Zealand in felt

I made this map for my father as it was his birthday the other week. It's New Zealand. We went there once together so it has fond memories for us.

Can you spot the mistake I made?

A special felt birthday portrait

Last week it was my partner's birthday. As a present I made him the above portrait. Of himself. His eyes have come out a little evil-looking. I swear in real life he doesn't look this villainous. His eyes are a strange colour though - grey-like or green-like. So I used grey embroidery thread. But now he looks a bit strange. I may have to adjust it.

The great big stitched postcard swap

I joined the do what you love great big stitched postcard swap. The theme was 'Discover'. Above is the postcard I sent my swap partner in the U.S.A. You can't see it too well in this photo but I stitched around the M25 circular and sewed on beads for each place name within London. I made the map in a similar way to my mixed media book cover. But with more pastels.

This is what she sent me:

Very cute and lots of fun.

TLC Bird Swap

So I started my own swap a few months back in the TLC Coffeehouse. It was a bird swap. That was it. Nice and simple.

Above is what I sent to my swap partner. It's a pigeon portrait! I got the outline pattern from the very kind Lismer Photography who had offered the silhouette on their blog. Thank you kind sharer.

I was a little late sending this off. I hope my swap partner likes it and wasn't too put out at the delay. 

I love Vaccinations

I love vaccinations! They're awesome.

A country of mystery (and felt)

This is both a very exciting and stressful time for me. I'm really excited and yet nervous. There is a very real possibility that in September I'll be moving countries again. Yay!

The catch is that we don't yet know where we'll be going. The three likeliest countries are India, Brazil or Uganda. Right now I'm really rooting for Uganda. The decision is not really ours - it's in the hands of work (not mine). This has been going on for months and months and months and still we're no closer to knowing where we'll be going. The unknowing is beginning to make me feel a little crazy. I'm preparing as best I can by putting my excess stuff up for sale on e-bay, getting vaccinated and so on.

Oh and by making these felt map outlines of the three contenders. Tee hee.

Which country will win? Which do you think we'll end up going to?

(Note: All three maps are available in my Etsy shop. I also take custom orders for any other country)

Happy Fathers Day

Yesterday was Fathers Day in the U.K. So I made a portrait of my father as a present for him.

My father

This one isn't one of my best. Somehow it doesn't look too much like my father. I think he is hard to capture. I also made him a card. He's a fan of Science Fiction so I found an old book cover for War of the Worlds and used it for inspiration.

I used pen and colouring pencils to make this.

Making a pincusion

I've recently discovered craft swapping and have decided to launch myself into it. Mainly because I love getting post, love making things and love a challenge. Swaps involve all of those things. Swoon.

So when I heard about House of Pinheiro's pincushion swap I signed right up!

Having received my swap partner I went and stalked her blog and started sketching ideas. I decided that it should be summery, and made of felt (of course). Felt sharpens needles so is in fact the perfect material for making a pincushion.

I decided to make a felt watermelon pincushion.

I assembled my ingredients:

Pincushion ingredients

I cut out my shape and started to piece it together. I decided that black beads would make good pips.

I folded the halves together and stitched in up with blanket stitch, pausing to stuff it with fluff and rice. 

The finished pincushion, avec pins.

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway day

Fishy McFish wants to go home with you*

I know I only just finished a giveaway but I really want to participate in Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway day. I am always late aboard these trains.

I am offering one of my felt goldfish decorations to be won. Note: I handmade this fish BUT it is not from my own pattern. The pattern is by Lisa Jordan and I got the pattern from Fa La La La Felt edited by Amanda Carestio.


The Details:

The fish measures approximately 7 cm x 3cm. The string is 11cm long. He is decorated on both sides and is stuffed. He is made of felt.

This giveaway is open internationally. I will send Fishy McFish anywhere in the world to you.

This giveaway is open until the 25th of May. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you to let you know that you've won. If you win you have 24 hours to respond with an address before I pick a new winner.

How to Win:

This one is slightly different. To enter this giveaway I want you to EITHER leave a comment telling me IF YOU WERE A FISH WHICH WOULD YOU BE? AND WHY?


OR flick through my previous posts and leave a comment here telling me which of my projects you like the most.

I will pick the best answer. My decision is final.

To enter more May giveaways go here.

Good Luck!


* Port is not included in the giveaway

The year of the Dragon

This is what I spent today making. A new portrait of two special people. The baby isn't on fire. It's supposed to be in a dragon suit. Tee hee!

This is my friend 'Ling Yun' whose amazing and beautiful jewellery can be seen and bought here. Actually it just occurred to me that I really should have included one of her necklaces on this portrait as she always wears great ones.

The String Empire's first Giveaway!

Two spring flowers looking for a home

In celebration of the weekend and there finally being some sun in London (also me being in a good mood due to having secured Amanda Palmer tickets) I am having my very first giveaway! I have two of my felt flower badges to give to two lucky people.

How to enter:

Mandatory - Leave a comment to this post (easy). 

Additional entries:

1. Tweet about this giveaway "I've just entered @TheStringEmpire giveaway - have you? - http://tinyurl.com/c62s4b7 " Or words to this effect.

2. Follow @TheStringEmpire on Twitter

3. Follow The String Empire on a reader of your choice (and leave a comment telling me you've done so)
4. Write about and link to this giveaway on your blog (and leave a comment here with a link to it)

Winners will be chosen through a random number generator.

This giveaway is open world-wide.






Winners will be announced on Friday the 18th of May!!!

A Fairy-Tale Challenge

The other day I issued a challenge on Tre La Creativity's forum the Coffeehouse.

It was as follows: 

Hey y'all. 
I LOVE fairy tales. And also projects. And challenges. So I'm going to suggest the VERY FIRST challenge of this forum. Sorry about all the caps but I am EXCITED.
I'm not really sure what kind of challenges are in mind for this....but I will give it a go anyway. 
So.... my challenge is to make a 10 cm x 10 cm square with the theme 'FAIRY TALES'. That's it. Keeping in mind Siobhan's warning of this being a mixed media kind of place it can be made of ANYTHING. The size and theme are the only restriction. And that's a pretty wide theme. 
I am very much looking forward to what you challengers come up with. I will obviously be participating myself. No prizes for guessing my material (FELT, oh felt I heart you).
xxxx

And here is my entry for this challenge (only just completed):

Is he giving her a kiss, or trying to eat her head?

Can you guess who it is?

If you want to take part (do do!) go here.

The rise of a felt zombie Scotty Dog

"Bones...bones...boooooooones"

So, I have a new product in my Etsy shop. Oh yes. It's a felt zombie dog. I haven't named him yet. Any suggestions?

He's SECURELY glued to a plain white card.

 "Who would want a felt zombie dog birthday/wedding/christening/Christmas card?" you may be asking. 

Who wouldn't want one? 

He is totally awesome. And fiercesome. But don't worry - I used strong glue. There'll be no escaping from this little fellow. He's a bargain and there's only one of him so if you want his merry company be quick. 

I may also make some zombie brooches....