Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Saturday 22 December 2012

Diagonal Box Stitch Gypsy Blanket

Well here it is - all done - my Diagonal Box Stitch Gypsy Blanket!!


c2c crochet blanket

Good use of the colourful scraps - don't quite think this one is travel size though - the end product is a bit big for that - 130cm x 130cm


c2c crochet blanket

Scrapbuster colours used for this project:    Denim, Daffodil, Aqua, Lilac, Turquoise, Dusty Rose, Maroon, Spearmint, White and Medium Grey.


Diagonal Box Stitch Crochet Afghan

I alternated the colours with a repeat stripe as follows:    random colour, Medium Grey,  random colour, White.     Had to top up the scraps with yarn from my stash -  about 100g of each of Medium Grey, White and Dusty Rose.


Diagonal Box Stitch Crochet Afghan

The Border is done in Dusty Rose - 3 rows of dc, 1 row of 3ch, picot, 2dc, skip 3dc, ss.


Diagonal Box Stitch Crochet Blanket

I added 3 simple flowers made from the teeny tiny leftovers, embellished with little wooden beads.

I do so love my new Blanket!

Sunday 16 December 2012

Gift Bag - Extra Large

I have been crazy busy crafting away.    Have a couple of really big projects on the go!

Busy making a diagonal box stitch "gypsy blanket" from yarn scraps left over from 2012's projects.   Planning to do a lot of traveling next year - I always find myself with cold knees on planes, buses and trains - not to mention while riding shotgun (hubby likes to drive with the aircon on - even when it is a bit nippy!)   I crossed halfway with this project yesterday - so hoping to finish it by tomorrow.

My daughter, Dani, also loves to craft - she made a snuggly afghan for her boyfriend's mom.    Quite a task to wrap something like that.    I made a bag and tag using (almost a whole sheet) giftwrap.     Used the Woolies gift wrap as it is quite firm.    I was half asleep when calculating the dimensions and the bag turned out excessively "long".    So I decided to flip over the top part -  instead of inserting the handles I punched holes straight through and used the flap to make a "handle" and close the bag.   Dani made the stars and decorated the bag.

Gift Bag

Monday 3 December 2012

Easter Bunny Cards

It's been raining cats and dogs here since yesterday afternoon - the sun peeked out between the clouds about ten minutes ago - but it is still heavily overcast.  Just the weather for a nice lamb stew and a baked pudding (supper sorted!!)

I had bought another sheet of the "Easter" foam and foil stickers from the Crazy Store - made a few quick cards using some leftovers I had on my table.

Vegetable Themed Card

Sweet Themed Card

I added some "googly eyes" to the bunnies.   You can find "googly eyes" at most haberdasheries - even the hardware hypers are stocking them lately (craft section).

Bunny Themed Card

I used some of my paper flowers to embellish the card above.   These are super easy to make.    I used a flower stencil to stencil small flower shapes onto strips of paper with a pencil.    Dip the paper into water and then crumple up.   Leave crumpled until almost dry.    Uncrumple and gently smooth out (don't iron these).   Cut out the flower shapes.   Pierce a hole in the middle of each one (a darning needle works quite well)   Layer up three shapes and secure with a brad.

Bunny Themed Card

Bunny Themed Card

Food starting to smell really yum.   Off to add the next lot of ingredients and then maybe get a bit more crafting done before supper!

Saturday 1 December 2012

Crumpled Paper Flowers Tutorial

Have managed to craft myself into a corner (literally) surrounded by crumpled, distressed, stained and foxed paper - and heaps of paper flowers!

I have made a few of each of six different distressed paper flowers - but I am only going to share one with you for now:

Cut five of the same shape flower (longish petals work best for this bloom).    Layer the five shapes on top of one another with the petals lined up.    Put a staple through the middle of the five layers to secure the bloom.  Now take a knitting needle (or something similar - I have used one of my pewter tools) - start at the tip of the petal and roll it around the needle towards the middle of the flower.    Repeat this with each petal on each layer.  Glue a button over the staple.


As simple as that - and you can make it in a jiffy!

I have been looking for a basket or container of sorts to store some of my pens in (they need to be stored horizontally).   I was not about to drive to the packaging warehouse about 45kms away (a smorgasbord of all things plasticky and storagey) - seemed a waste of time and petrol for just one thing!   Went down to the local mall - little shop called the Crazy Store - they have everything from balloons to baskets, pegs to paper, etc.    Did not find what I was looking for but I did spot some "Easter" looking foam and foil stickers  for a couple of Rands - which I was absolutely compelled to buy!


And they work perfectly with my flowers!     Used the four lager stickers to make 12cm x 12cm cards.   Will use the two smaller ones to make gift tags (possibly).

Easter Egg Themed Card


Easter Card

Easter Card

Well that's enough crafting for me for one day.    Off to make a cuppa for hubby and myself  (which I am going to enjoy with a lovely biscuit or two .... maybe even three)!

Crumpled Paper

Saturday afternoon and the weather is rather miserable.    I made pizzas for lunch (enough to feed an army) - so yay there is enough for dinner too!!

My youngest is playing with her new camera - snapping away at me while I work - so if my typing seems a little off, its because I am flash blind!

I have been texturing and distressing papers this afternoon to use on various projects.    One of the easiest ways to add interest to ordinary paper is by crumpling it.    Wet it under running water and then crumple it up.    You can either leave it to dry and then un-crumple it (in which case the creases will be quite deep) or unfold it and let it dry, or unfold it and iron it dry.   Also try crumpling a darker colour with a lighter colour -  quite often the colour runs a bit and then you get quite a nice effect on the lighter colour.

Once the paper is dry you can distress it by lightly sanding over it with fine sandpaper or a kitchen scourer.    I always add this step if I want my project to have a vintage feel!

I had some neon orange and yellow which I crumpled  together and an odd purplish sheet which I crumpled with pink.    I don't have a use for these on my other projects so I am going to use them to make up a batch of paper flowers.

The tutorial on how to make the flowers can be found HERE.