Crochet stars

Another quick and simple decoration idea to fill the tree or decorate cards and gifts.  I used this 

Simple Crochet star pattern  from www.stitching-together.com.  

The pattern uses US stitch terms, for UK readers there's a useful conversion table and abbreviation list here on www.gathered.how.

The site also has a complete guide to crochet for beginners here.

T Shirt Yarn Necklace...

Your favourite T-shirt snagged, stained or worn out?  Don't throw it away, recycle it and make a trendy necklace.

I've used a quick and easy crochet pattern from issue 44 of Reloved magazine to make mine. It takes you through the process of making the yarn and goes on to show you how to make this necklace.  The project is taken from the book Supersize Ccrochet by Sarah Shrimpton.

If you haven't a T-shirt to recycle you can buy ready made fabric yarn online from the T-Shirt Yarn Shop.
There's plenty of free patterns on Pinterest too like this one

Reduce ♥ Reeuse ♥ Recycle

A cupcake card for a challenge...

It's 'Cupcake' challenge time over on the Let's Craft and Create blog.  All the nitty gritty details you need to enter are here, plus some lovely cupcake cards from the DT girls.

Short and Sweet!!

Embroidery Hoop Art...

This card was inspired by the embroidery hoop trend. that I've been seeing in all the home styling magazines and on Pinterest, I've even set up a board HERE dedicated to hoops!
Instead of a hoop I've used some wood grain paper to give the effect and lots of stitching, it's been a while since I've made a stitched card, and it's good to be back in my comfort zone.
The flowers I've crocheted using this pattern and 4ply mercerised cotton from the knitshop, just right for our 'Flowers' challenge that launches today over on the Let's Craft and Create blog .  It would great to see you over there, just create a card or project using flowers somewhere in the design, couldn't be any easier, especially now Spring has finally decided to arrive!

Papers: My Minds Eye The Sweetest Thing - Tangerine; Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe.  Stamp; Stampendous  Happy Greetings.

And the Winner is...

As so many of you joined in my little giveaway I've picked two winners, and they are

Maxine

and

Karen (Stamping in Pink)

Email your address to blushcrafts@googlemail.com and I'll get them in the post to you.

Thanks to everyone that entered and thanks too for all the lovely comments on my card. 

CAS Love and a Giveaway...

A new challenge launches today over on Let's Craft and Create.  This time our theme is CAS Love.  
We'd like you to share your clean and simple (CAS) projects with the theme of love...valentine, wedding, anniversary, with love, all my love etc.  There's some fabulous projects from the design team over on the blog.  Plus the prize is a beautiful set of Clearly Besotted stamps.

For my card I've crocheted some tiny hearts and tied them to a crocheted chain.  The pattern to make the hearts is HERE and is really simple if you're a crocheter, you just need to remember that the pattern uses US terminology. I've tried a few different patterns for hearts but found this one is just the perfect size for cards.

For anyone who would like some ready made hearts, I've got these to giveaway   Just leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a name out of the hat and announce the winner here on Saturday 26th January. 

Crochet a Pin Cushion...

Our current challenge over on the  Let's Craft and Create Blog is Anything but a Card!  

I've crocheted a pin cushion. The motif  I've used for the design is called 'African Flower' an internet search will give you various patterns and tutorials, but the one I used is  HERE.
The yarn is  4ply mercerised cotton from knitshop.co.uk there's some gorgeous bright and zingy colours in the range.  I've used Pastel Pink, Rose Pink, Leaf Green and Silver.

Check out the Let's Craft and Create blog to see some fabulous projects from the rest of the team and the prize on offer for one lucky entry.  Don't forget you've got two weeks to enter.

Stars Stripes and more Crochet...

Here's my make for the Bubbly Scrumptious Blog.  A Congratulations card using star dies and stripy patterned paper.   As always there's a full supplies list and a guide to make it over HERE on the Bubbly Scrumptious Blog.

In other news, I'm still hooked on crochet.  Here's a snowflake I made at my class last week.  The yellow yarn was just to practice, now I'm happy with the pattern I'll be making some in white to decorate the tree and gifts this Christmas.   

And I have a list of projects as long as your arm I'd like to make, most of them from this fabulous book by Nicki Trench.  Don't you just love that tea cosy? 

Thank you flower...

I've been totally absorbed with crochet this last week, that's why it's been quiet here. Blogging and card making have come second to my new passion.  There's yarn, hooks and crochet patterns all over the house and I've bored my followers on Pinterest by adding around  50 crochet 'pins' within a couple of days!   

Now let's get back to the matter in hand. It's time for another challenge over at Let's Craft and Create. and the theme is 

ANYTHING GOES

Would be great to see you join in this time all you need to do is make a new card or project to  enter.

Check out the Let's Craft and Create Blog for all the details, some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team and the prize up for grabs for one lucky winner - some pretties from The Ribbon Girl  shop.

Craft Concepts Universal Embossing Folder - Woodgrain

Ric Rac, pearl button  and Gingham Ribbon from The Ribbon Girl

Quilted card and crocheted flowers...

My day to post over on the Bubbly Scrumptious blog again today - the weeks are flying by far too quickly!  This week I've made a quilt inspired card using hand stitching with this pretty Prima flower as the focal point.  I always like to have some ready made flowers in my stash for those times when I  haven't time to make my own.  There's a full supplies list and a step-by-step guide to hand stitching on cards HERE on the Bubbly Scrumptious blog.

Inspired by my blogging pal Katie, I attended a beginners crochet workshop yesterday.  In only two hours I'd made a flower!

A big achievement for a complete novice like me.  I had such a great time I'm going back next week for the intermediate class, best get practising!